Box Score | RPI Athletics on Twitter 

TROY, N.Y. - Sophomore Ashley Clough scored 20 points and grabbed 14 rebounds and the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) women's basketball team held off Union College, 61-56, in a Liberty League contest at East Campus Arena. RPI, which had a 35-18 lead at halftime, improves to 5-13 overall and 3-6 in the league. The Dutchwomen fall to 11-5 and 3-4.

Clough (West Chesterfield, NH / Keene) registered a double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds in the first half to help the Engineers to a 17-point lead at the break. However, the Dutchwomen fought back in the second half to pull within one point, 51-50 with 4:12 to go. A driving, lefthanded layup by Clough and a free throw by junior Amanda Lynch (Middletown, NY / John S. Burke) started a 5-1 run for Rensselaer, which held a 56-51 lead and eventually sealed the victory at the free throw line. Junior Courtney Reynolds (San Diego, CA / Rancho Bernardo) made four shots from the foul line in the final 20 seconds.

The game was tied at 10-10 with 11:29 left in the first half when the Engineers went on a 14-0 run, paced by Zysnia Osepa (Melrose, NY / Tamarac). The senior guard scored five straight points off the bench before sophomores Lauren Young (Kirkwood, MO / St. Joseph Academy) and Clough both made three-point field goals. Union broke its drought, which lasted nearly four full minutes, on a jumper by senior Amy Loya (Bethel, CT / Immaculate) to pull to within 12 points, 24-12, with 7:42 to play in the first half. Rensselaer scored 11 of the final 17 points of the frame for lead after 20 minutes.

Clough registered a double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds in the first half. She also had four steals for the Engineers, who got six points from Osepa and Reynolds. The Dutchwomen, which shot 20.7% from the field in the first half, saw Loya score a team-high six points at that point.

Reynolds finished with 14 points, while Lynch had 12 points and eight rebounds. Osepa had seven points for RPI, which shot 26.9% in the second half after connecting on 31.6% of its shots in the first. 

Three players reached double figures in points for Union, including junior Kate Thompson (Clinton, NY / Clinton), who had 10 points and 10 rebounds. Senior Kelsey McDonald (Cornwall, NY / Cornwall Central) had a team-high 12 points, all on three-pointers, with six rebounds, while sophomore Cailin Schmeer (Ambler, PA / Mount Saint Joseph Academy) had 10 points and six rebounds. Loya finished with nine points and seven boards. The Dutchwomen made 32.4% of its shots, including five three-pointers, in the second half to pull close. 

Both teams are right back in action with league games on Saturday afternoon at 2pm. RPI hosts Skidmore College, while Union takes on Bard College in Schenectady, N.Y.