Box Score

TROY, N.Y. – Senior guard DJ Blakemore scored a game-high 16 points to lead the Rensselaer men's basketball team to a 95-62 victory over Lyndon State, this evening in the semifinal round of the ECAV Tip-Off Tournament at East Campus Arena. With the win, the Engineers improve to 2-0, while the Hornets fall to 0-2.

RPI scored 10 of the first 14 points of the game, including back-to-back baskets by seniors Jeremy Moylan (Monroe, NY/Monroe-Woodbury) and Blakemore giving the hosts a 10-4 lead, less than four minutes in.

The Engineers built up a 12-point edge (26-14) after a three-pointer junior guard Matthew Pooley (Middletown, NY/Chapel Field Christian School) with 10:28 to play in the first half. Rensselaer defense picked up over the next four minutes, not allowing a basket, while a Blakemore triple extended the Engineers' lead to 29-14.

A three-pointer by senior Travis Jones (East Greenbush, NY/Columbia), followed by a lay-in by freshman Joe Gibbons (Lindenhurst, NY/Saint John the Baptist) gave the hosts their largest lead of half (43-24) with 36 seconds to play, but a Mike Norcross (North Haverhill, NH) bucket at the horn brought Lyndon State to within 17 at the break.

Junior Logan Calkins (Danville, VT) hit a triple, followed by a lay-up by freshman Phil Warrick (Springfield, MA), which pulled the Hornets to within 14 points (45-31). That was close as they would get as the Engineers shot 53.8% (21 for 39) in the second half to put the game out of reach.

Aiding Blakemore's 16 points and three assists was Jones, who finished with 14 points and seven rebounds. Moylan added 12 points, eight rebounds and a game-high two blocked shots, while Gibbons came off the bench to net 11 points and haul in six boards.

Leading the way for Lyndon State was Warrick, who dropped in a team-best nine points, to go along with five rebounds and two assists. Junior Ben Sackett (Lyndonville, VT) scored eight points, with classmate Jose Fortunato (Boston, MA) recording four points, nine boards, three assists and three steals.

Rensselaer is back on the court tomorrow afternoon, when they face Paul Smith's College in the championship game (4pm). Lyndon State will face Plymouth State in the consolation game (2pm).