TROY, N.Y. – Behind double-digit efforts from four players, the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) men's basketball team defeated the College of St. Joseph (Vt.), 87-68 on Friday at East Campus Arena. The Engineers move to 5-2 on the season, while the Fighting Saints, who also saw four players score 10 points or more, fall to 3-8 overall.

RPI controlled play from the opening tip-off as the home team built up a 14-1 advantage through the first seven minutes of the contest. The Engineers led by as many as 18 points following a pair of free throws from rookie Joe Gibbons (Lindenhurst, NY/Saint John the Baptist) and continued to tack on the points as senior DJ Blakemore (Bloomfield Township, MI/Lahser) sank a pair from the charity stripe and nailed a three-pointer to give RPI a 28-7 lead with 5:53 left in the half.

The Engineers continued to capitalize on missed jumpers by the visitors as they went on a 7-0 run to gain a 26-point advantage (35-9) with 4:19 on the clock. St. Joseph was able to close the gap to 19 points on a layup by Patrick Triplett (Atlanta, GA), but a three-point from Gibbons with 32 seconds left in the half saw RPI head into the intermission with a 44-20 lead.

In the second half of action, Rensselaer continued to roll as Blakemore sank a shot from beyond the arc to push its advantage to 27 points (47-20) less than a minute in. Back-to-back layups by freshman Rahiem Smalls (Brooklyn, NY) helped St. Joseph get back into it and a subsequent shot at 15:30 by K.J. Jackson (Aroura, IL) cut the home team's lead to 20 points (50-30).

The Fighting Saints made up ground in the second half at the free throw line, going 11 of 20 (55.0%) in the final 20, but RPI continued to make its shots at the other end and regained a 24-point lead at 11:05 on a jumper by senior Mike Hammond (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa).

St. Joseph continued to fight late in the game, pulling to within 17 (81-64) with 2:20 remaining, but held strong down the stretch to seal its fifth victory of the season.

Leading the Engineers was Blakemore, who posted 18 points and six rebounds. Gibbons finished with 15 points, while Hammond chipped in with 14 points. Senior Travis Jones (East Greenbush, NY/Columbia) rounded out the RPI effort with 12 points, including 4 of 8 buckets from three-point range.

For the Fighting Saints, Smalls posted game-best in both points (21) and rebounds (10). He also had three assists, two blocks and a game-high four steals. Jackson added 13 points and a game-high 10 boards, while James Rajda (West Rutland, VT) and Dane Jobst (Athol, MA) posted 10 points apiece.

The Engineers return to action on Monday when they face New Jersey City University at the Times Union Center as part of a special doubleheader with Siena College. RPI will play at 5:30pm against the Gothic Knights in a game that will feature a free live video webcast. Details can be found HERE. St. Joseph returns to the court on January 7, hosting Castleton State (7:30pm).