Box Score

TROY, N.Y. – Junior guard Jeremy Bull went a perfect 6 for 6 from the free throw line, including a pair with four seconds remaining, to give Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) an 85-80 victory over Mount Saint Mary College in non-conference men's basketball action at East Campus Arena. With the win, the Engineers improve to 3-1, while the Blue Knights drop to 1-4.

A back and forth battle opened the second half as the Engineers used the momentum of a 39-26 halftime lead to its advantage. Matching the visitors' basket for basket through the first seven minutes, RPI opened a 21-point lead at 13:04, which included baskets in three straight possessions from junior guard Travis Jones (East Greenbush, NY/Columbia).

Rensselaer continued to hold a double-digit advantage throughout the majority of the half, but saw its lead cut significantly as the Blue Knights went on an 11-2 run at the 7:47 mark to pull Mount Saint Mary to within six points (68-62) with 5:55 remaining.

Junior guard Matt Weinberger's (Washingtonville, NY/Washingtonville) jumper at 3:34 made it a 73-69 contest, but the Engineers continued to fight back, regaining an 11-point advantage (80-69) with just 1:42 remaining off Jones' shot from three-point range.

Sophomore forward Carlos Valdez (Slate Hill, NY/Minisink Valley), who led all scorers with 22 points, was able to make it a five-point game with just 34 second remaining, but that was a close as it would get as Rensselaer took advantage of late fouls and Bull's excellent shots from the line to secure the victory.

The start of the game was a slow one as each team fought to establish a rhythm. The Engineers picked up the momentum at 14:02 after senior Tim Rupp sank a three-pointer for a solid 11-5 lead. Despite a number of opportunities for the Blue Knights, the Engineers continued to out-rebound the visitors and saw junior Mike Brion (Nashua, NH/Bishop Guertin) hit a number of shots down the stretch to lead all scorers with nine first-half points.

In addition to Jones, who was 6 for 6 from the floor and 3 for 3 from beyond the arc, Rensselaer saw Bull (Woodbridge, VA/St. Stephens & St. Agnes School), Rupp and Jeremy Colon (Manchester, NH/West) finish with 10 points apiece. As a team, the Engineers were a solid 60.0% from the free throw line, going 15 of 25 for the game.

Mount Saint Mary saw Valdez record a game-best 13 rebounds in addition to his game-high 22 points. Weinberger posted 13 points, while junior Chuck Magos (Port Jervis, NY/Port Jervis) also added 13 points. The Blue Knights shot a solid 51.7% from the field in the contest and were 6 of 9 (66.7%) from beyond the arc.

Rensselaer returns to action on Sunday, hosting Paul Smith's College (NY) in a 4pm tilt at East Campus Arena. The Blue Knights are back on the court on Tuesday at Purchase College (7pm).