Box Score

TROY, N.Y. – Junior Travis Jones (East Greenbush, NY/Columbia) netted a team-high 14 points, including four late second half three-pointers to Rensselaer men's basketball team to a 66-61 victory over St. Lawrence University, at East Campus Arena. With the win the Engineers improve to 13-6 overall (5-4 Liberty League), while the Saints move to 11-10 (7-3 Liberty League).

With 29 seconds on the clock and Rensselaer leading by a point, Jones stepped into a long three-point shot from the wing and connected, pushing the Engineers' advantage to 65-61. Senior Ricky Philatre (Randolph, MA/Randolph) made 1 of 2 free throws with 16 ticks left to bring the game to its final score.

The Engineers opened the game on a 8-2 run over the first five minutes of play, with junior Mike Brion (Nashua, NH/Bishop Guertin) dropping five of those points in a lay-up and a three. The Saints battled back to pull even (16-16) at the midway point of the half. Sophomore Ralph Temgoua (Paris, France/Deerfield Academy) capped off the run with a triple.

The two sides then traded small leads over the next nine minutes, before a three-pointer by senior Tim Rupp (Staten Island, NY/Curtis) and lay-in by junior Mike Hammond (Clifton Park, NY/Schenendehowa) gave the hosts 28-23 lead at halftime.

RPI came out shooting to start the second stanza and built an eight point lead (34-26) – its largest of the game – just over three minutes in. Junior DJ Blakemore (Bloomfield Township, MI/Lahser) highlighted the spurt with a coast-to-coast lay-up.

St. Lawrence stormed back over the next five minutes, outscoring the Engineers 17-2 to take a 43-36 lead with 12:01 to go in the game. Senior Josh Sharlow (Norwood, NY/Norwood-Norfolk) recorded seven points on the run.

The Saints held the lead until the six-minute mark when a pair of Brion free-throws gave the Engineers a one-point edge (53-52). St. Lawrence freshman Nick Meunier (Colchester, VT/Rice Memorial) put the visitors back up one (54-53) with a jumper.

Jones then hit two big threes down the stretch, sandwiching a Blakemore three-point play to hold off the Saints attempt to tie or pull ahead. Rupp equaled Jones' 14 points, while adding five rebounds, two assists and a steal. Philatre recorded a double-double of 12 points and 13 rebounds to go along with three blocks.

Meunier finished with a game-high 16 points on 6 of 8 shooting. Josh Sharlow netted 15 points, while fellow senior Andy Hoercher (Auburn, NY/Auburn) ended up with 10.

The Engineers are back in action on Friday and Saturday, when they visit area-rivals Skidmore (8pm) and Union (4pm), respectively.