Box Score | Purchase MBB Action Pix

BETHLEHEM, Pa. - John Jay shot 47.2% from the field, while holding Rensselaer to 32.5% and the Bloodhounds defeated the Engineers, 85-78, in the first round of the 36th Annual Roosevelt's Greyhound Classic hosted by Moravian College. John Jay (4-6) advances to play Moravian in the Championship Game on Sunday at 3:00 p.m. while RPI (1-7) will play Penn State-Lehigh Valley in the Consolation Game at 1 p.m.

Sophomore Tyler Gendron led RPI with 13 points, along with seven rebounds, while senior Reggie Colas had 11 points.

The Engineers trailed by four at halftime, 37-33, despite making half (16-8) the number of field goals as John Jay. Rensselaer then stayed within seven points through the first seven minutes of the second half before going on a 14-4 run to take a three-point lead, 56-53, with 12:27 remaining. Colas spearheaded the action, tying the game with a fastbreak layup at 13:08 and then hitting a three-pointer for the advantage - RPI's first lead since 1:19 into the contest.

Rensselaer went ahead by six points on five occasions, including after a jumper by Jonathan Luster with 4:27 to play (74-68), but the Bloodhounds battled back in front by one, 75-74, with 3:00 to go. A Gendron three-pointer gave the Engineers a 77-75 lead, but John Jay tied the score at 77-77 with 2:37 to go. Jordan Kendall had five of the team's nine points in that 2:10 span. The Bloodhounds' Kris Owens scored the next five points of the game for an 82-77 edge and RPI could only pull to within four points the final 1:39.

Owens finished with a game-high 27 points with eight rebounds, following by Korede Griffin, who had 20 points and six boards. Kendall finished with six points.