ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. - The Bard College women's basketball team is willing to do anything to win a Liberty League game.

They'll dive on the floor, crawl, scratch and go up and down the floor for 40 minutes at full intensity. The players all have floor burns, bumps and bruises, aches and pains, because they leave it all out there every night. They have come to understand it takes that kind of effort to break through.

They haven't broken through yet. But they're getting pretty darn close.

For the second time in the last two weeks, the Raptors took a Liberty League opponent to the wire at home. Back on Jan. 12, it was a three-point loss to RPI, and on Friday night, it was a 48-43 loss to Clarkson. It was a heartbreaker.

A scrappy, defensive struggle from the start, if jump-balls were a statistic, this game would have set the record. It was 12-12 after one quarter, and Bard led, 23-22, at the half. Nobody was shooting the ball well (Clarkson 22%, Bard 29%), but Clarkson's 14 offensive boards in the first 20 minutes led to 11 second-chance points, and that allowed the Golden Knights to hang in there.

Clarkson outscored Bard, 9-5, in the third quarter, making it 31-28 going in the final quarter. The game came down the final few possessions.

Bard's deficit got as big as seven in the fourth quarter, but a layup by Olivia Couture cut it to 44-40 with 1:51 to go. Bard needed a stop.

Clarkson's next possession was frantic, due to Bard's tough defense, and the shot clock was winding down with no good looks at the basket. Kati Gotch found the tiniest space and hit a shot in the paint as the shot clock expired to make it 46-40 with 1:21 left.

Jess Rylander hit a huge three-pointer on Bard's next possession, cutting the lead to 46-43 with 64 seconds left. Again, Bard needed a stop.

With the shot clock set to expire again, and Clarkson desperate for a look, Emma Buonanno tossed up an awkward jumper, just beating the shot clock, as it bounced off the rim with 31 seconds left. But Gotch grabbed the offensive rebound, Bard was forced to start fouling, and the game ended, 48-43.

Rachel Marion led the Golden Knights (6-10 overall, 3-6 Liberty League) with 16 points, while Molly Stewart added 12 points and 14 rebounds. Gotch finished with five points and 16 rebounds.

Christina Kiser led Bard with 17 points, five rebounds, six steals and a block. Rylander added 10 points and five rebounds, Katie Esposito had eight points, eight rebounds and three blocks, and Olivia Couture grabbed a team-high 11 rebounds to go with four points and two steals.

Up next for Bard is a Liberty League game against St. Lawrence at home on Saturday afternoon. Follow it live right here.