Box Score
Box Score / Media Coverage

TROY, N.Y. – Junior Tim Rupp scored a game-high 24 points to lead the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) men's basketball team to a 79-58 victory over The College of St. Joseph's (Vt.) and give head coach Mike Griffin the school's record for career victories. Griffin, who is in his 25th season, now has 298 career wins to surpass his mentor, Bill Kalbaugh, for the mark.

Rupp (Staten Island, NY/Curtis) led the Red Hawks to a 51-33 halftime lead by scoring 21 first half points on 8-of-11 shooting, including 5-of-8 from 3-point range. He finished with 24 points with five rebounds, three assists and a steal in 27 minutes.

Rensselaer jumped out to an 11-4 lead five minutes into the first half, including nine points on three 3-pointers by Rupp. The Red Hawks held a 24-9 lead with 12:10 left in the first half and held at least an 11-point lead – with a high of 25 points – the rest of the game.

RPI sophomore Mike Brion (Nashua, NH/Bishop Guertin) added 17 points, while junior Ricky Philatre (Randolph, MA/Randolph) had eight points and a game-high 12 rebounds.

Griffin is now 298-293 as the men's basketball coach at Rensselaer. Kalbaugh, for whom Griffin was an assistant coach for three years (1970-73), was 297-341 in his 30-year career (1953-83).

The Red Hawks, who played without leading scorer and rebounder Sam Simmons (Newburgh, NY/Newburgh Free Academy), close out their non-league schedule with a 6-5 record. They open Liberty League play on Friday at Hobart College (8pm).

The College of St. Joseph's, which falls to 3-10, was led by junior Tyler Herrington (Cambridge, NY), who also had a game-high 24 points. He added seven rebounds, a block and a steal. Brad Drysdale (Brooklyn, NY) scored 10 points.