ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. - The energy, noise and overall atmosphere Friday night in the Stevenson Athletic Center was simply playoff-esque.

From tip-off until the final seconds ticked off the clock, the Bard faithful never waned in their cheering. That's because they had just witnessed the one of the most exciting games in Bard College history, as the men's basketball team outpaced their archrival, Vassar College, 76-67.

With the win, Bard improved to 12-8 overall and broke the previous program record for wins in a year, which set during the 2003-04 and 2014-15 seasons. The result also moved the Raptors to 8-5 in the Liberty League, further entrenching Bard in the Liberty League playoff picture. The top-six teams in the league make the playoffs, and Bard currently sits in fourth place with five games to go.

While nothing is ever guaranteed in the Liberty League, the Raptors took a huge step toward punching the first Liberty League playoff ticket in the college's history Friday night.

To begin the night, it was the guests who controlled the action. The Brewers of Vassar (8-12, 4-9 LL) entered the contest knowing that Bard likes to push the ball off rebounds and play uptempo, so they played old-school, half-court offense to slow the Raptors' attack.

And it worked in the beginning.

It worked so well, that Bard didn't gain its first lead until 8:25 remained in the opening half. That lead came courtesy of Justyn Rogers, who's layup put the Raptors ahead, 22-21.

From there, the Brewers struggled to keep the transition game in their favor. In spite of that, Vassar held tough. After Bard jumped out to a 25-21 lead, the guests used a 9-0 run to storm back and jump back in front.

Over the final five minutes of the opening half, the action remained back-and-forth, as the fans were looking for a reason to explode. It seemed like every time the Raptors were about to take control, Vassar was able answer back. 

However, the moment finally came for the Raptors and their fans right at the halftime horn.

With time winding down, Rogers started his attack toward the basket, before catching a glimpse of David Runcie waiting in the corner for a three-point attempt. Rogers was able to muscle a pass over toward Runcie, who converted a perfect catch-and-shoot three as the buzzer sounded, handing Bard the lead, 39-38, and sending the Stevenson faithful into a frenzy going into the break.

It was a huge momentum swing and the turning point in the game for the Raptors. In fact, Bard never trailed again, though the contest remained tight throughout the second half.

Following the intermission, both squads came out ready to rumble once again. While Bard was able to build on its lead, Vassar remained close, eventually cutting the deficit to just three points, 50-47, with 12:54 remaining. 

However, the Raptors weren't going to be denied on the night. The team responded with a 10-0 run to push the lead to 13 points, as they never looked back. Eventually, the lead ballooned to as many as 19 points, as Bard's play showed just what this team is capable of entering the final stretch of the season. 

On the night, Bard shot 49 percent from the field, while Vassar was just 39 percent. Despite slowing down the action early, Vassar failed to limit the Raptors' transition game and it cost them in the end. Bard outscored the guests, 18-0, on fast-break points and 22-8 on points off turnovers.

While the Brewers were able to use their superior size to win the rebounding battle, Bard actually finished with more points in the paint (48-36) in the winning effort.

The Raptors had four players finish in double figures in the win, with Rogers leading the way with 21 points. The sophomore finished 10-of-16 from the field, with seven rebounds and four assists. 

Meanwhile, Jelani Bell-Isaac added 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting and Runcie chipped in 12 points, seven rebounds, five assists, two steals and two blocks.

Armando Dunn added 11 points, six rebounds, three steals and two blocks in the effort.

For Vassar, four players finished in double figures. Alex Seff (Arlington, VA) led the way with 14 points, while Paul Grinde (Virginia Beach, VA) added 12 points and 12 rebounds.

Up next for Bard is another Liberty League contest, as the Raptors host Skidmore College (2nd in Liberty League standings) tomorrow (February 2nd) at 4 p.m. You can follow it right here.