Box Score

TROY, N.Y. – Seniors Hillary McKinley and Sarah Wetmore each posted a game-best 16 points to lead the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) women's basketball team to a 54-37 non-conference win over Utica College at East Campus Arena.  With the victory, the Engineers move to 5-2 overall and extend their win streak to four, while the Pioneers slip to 5-3 on the young season.
 
It was a tight game to start, but the home team began to pull away as back-to-back jumpers from McKinley (Quinebaug, CT/Tourtellotte Memorial) made it an 8-2 advantage at 15:42.
 
The Engineers continued to roll throughout the frame as shots from senior Nicole Monroe (Syracuse, NY/West Genesee) and rookie Courtney Reynolds (San Diego, CA/Rancho Bernardo) made it a 16-4 advantage with 9:31 remaining.
 
Utica's Meghan Fiore (Epping, NH/Epping), who also had a game-best 16 points, helped close the gap at 7:52 with a nice layup, but Rensselaer continued to respond.  The Engineers pushed the advantage to 18 points (27-9) at 3:06 as Monroe, Wetmore (Sudbury, MA/Lincoln Sudbury Regional) and McKinley fired in shots.
 
Fiore and senior Justine Karst (Olean, NY/Hinsdale) each sank buckets for the Pioneers as time wound down, but could not get closer as the Engineers went into halftime with a 27-13 advantage.  Rensselaer held Utica to 26.1% (6 of 23) shooting from the field through the first 20 minutes.
 
At the start of the second half, the Engineers poured in a pair of shots before the Pioneers battled to close the gap.  Sophomore Alyssa Filkins (Castleton, NY/Maple Hill) and rookie Mara Newland (Lafargeville, NY/Mt. Hope) helped the cause as each nailed three pointers to make it a 31-29 game with 17:43 to play.
 
The Engineers kept up the defensive pressure and continued to hold a double-digit lead, taking their largest lead of the game at 13:08 (41-21) off a jumper from freshman Bailei Tetrault (Cohoes, NY/Cohoes),
 
Utica refused to back down despite the deficit as Fiore split the lane with a layup at 8:47 to cut the gap to 16 points (44-28), but the home team responded with back-to-back buckets to regain a 20-point lead (48-28) less than a minute later and hold on down the stretch for victory.
 
For the Engineers, McKinley added a game-best 11 rebounds for her fourth double-double of the season.  She also had a game-high four blocks. Wetmore added eight boards, while Monroe chipped in with eight points and five rebounds.
 
Utica's Fiore paced the Pioneers, adding eight rebounds and an assist.  Filkins poured in 10 points and six caroms with two assists.
 
RPI is now idle for the holiday break, but is back in action on December 29 when it plays at the Salem State Holiday Tournament.  The Engineers take on the host Vikings in the opener at 5pm.  Utica is back on the court on Tuesday, hosting Union at 6pm.