ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. - The lead changed hands 14 times. It was tied nine times. In a game played with playoff intensity, every possession mattered.

As time wound down, neither team had managed to put a run together of any kind. Until one did.

St. Lawrence University broke the ninth and last tie with a 13-2 run, and the Saints defeated Bard College, 66-56, in a key Liberty League game.

The conference season is half over, and the victory pushed St. Lawrence (9-7 overall, 4-4 Liberty League) into fifth place, one game out of the fourth and final playoff spot. Bard (8-9, 3-5) is two games out with eight games to play.

Before the final seven minutes of the game, the biggest lead either team had was six points. The Saints led by three at halftime, and the lead volleyed back and forth eight times in the second half. A pair of free throws by Siondueh Burnette tied the game at 49-49 with 7:22 left.

For the second time in the second half, Kyle Kobis (Elma, NY) hit a desperation three-pointer as the shot clock expired to make it 52-49, but a short jumper by Burnette cut it back to 52-51. That's when the Raptors went cold.

Kobis hit a driving layup, and a three-pointer from Kyle Edwards made it 57-51 with 4:56 left. After a Bard turnover, the Raptors needed a stop.

Brady Condlin (Massena, NY) missed a three-pointer, with 3:49 to go, but Leondre Simmon (Freeport, NY) grabbed the offensive rebound. After a foul and a Bard time out, Kobis missed a layup, but Simmon grabbed that board, too, and his put-back made it 59-51 with 3:13 left.

After a Bard miss, St. Lawrence ran the shot clock down and took a three-pointer, only to have Kyle Edwards (Norwich, NY) rebound his own miss and give the Saints a fresh 35 seconds. Bard eventually started fouling and the lead was 10 with 1:46 remaining.

A long three-pointer by Alex Fabean-Scotch went in, making it 62-56 with 32 seconds left, but the Saints went 4-for-4 from the line in the last half-minute to pull out the victory.

St. Lawrence made 7-of-15 from beyond the arc in the second half, and 20 of their 41 rebounds in the game were on the offensive end. Condlin finished with 20 points and Kobis with 19. Seven of Simmon's team-leading 12 rebounds were on the offensive glass.

Bard got 12 points and four rebounds from freshman DeVahnte Mosley, and 10 points and six rebounds from Burnette.

The Raptors next host Union on Friday night at 8. Any fans wearing black and carrying Bard ID will receive a free pair of BirdGang sunglasses.