GORHAM, Maine - Senior Ashley Clough scored a game-high 22 points to lead the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) women's basketball team to a 65-50 victory over Maine-Farmington in the consolation game of the Southern Maine Tip-Off Classic on Sunday afternoon. With the win, the Engineers improve to 1-1 on the season, while the Beavers drop to 0-2.

Senior Courtney Reynolds (San Diego, CA/Rancho Bernardo) netted eight of her 13 points in a first half in which the Engineers opened up a 32-20 lead. Classmate Amanda Lynch (Middletown, NY/John S. Burke Catholic) had six in the stanza. RPI was able to force 19 first half turnovers, including 12 steals. 

Rensselaer used a 13-7 run to push its lead to 45-27, five minutes into the second half. Clough (West Chesterfield, NH/Keene) had six points during the run. A lay-up by senior captain Bailei Tetrault (Cohoes, NY/Cohoes) and a three-pointer from junior Ellen Boucher (Williston, VT/Rice Memorial) kept the Engineers lead at 20 points (50-30) with 12 minutes to go in the second half.

A 9-0 Maine-Farmington run made it 50-39 with 8:26 on the clock, but a jumper and a free throw from Reynolds kept the Beavers at bay. 

The Engineers didn't let the lead dip below 13 points the rest of the way, en route to their first victory over the season.

Clough had eight rebounds, three assists, four blocks and five steals in 33 minutes. Reynolds finished with six rebounds, two assists and five steals, while Tetrault added four points, six boards, four assists and five steals.

Rensselaer is back in action on Wednesday, when it hosts Utica College at East Campus Arena (6pm).