ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. – Junior Chase Almond (South Kingstown, RI) scored 21 points on 9-of-11 shooting and the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute men's basketball team led from start to finish in a 67-54 victory over Bard College in a Liberty League game on Tuesday night.
 
The Engineers improved to 4-10 overall, 1-4 in the Liberty League. Bard is 7-6, 2-2.
 
RPI jumped out to a 9-2 lead early, saw Bard tie it, then regained the lead and never relinquished it. The Engineers made 52 percent of their shots from the field in the first half and led, 33-24, at the break.
 
On the defensive end, RPI never allowed Bard to get too comfortable, and the Raptors had a consistently hard time getting good looks at the basket. On the other end, RPI made several layups on back door cuts and pick-and-rolls.
 
Bard trimmed the halftime lead to five early, but RPI responded and pulled away. The lead got as big as 18 in the final minutes.
 
RPI shot 50 percent for the game; Bard shot 40 percent. Almond led the winners with 21 points; Tyler Gendron (Merrimack, NH) added 11, and the Engineers handed out 16 assists, led by Nate Kane with four.
 
Bard got 18 points and six rebounds from freshman DeVahnte Mosley (Sicklerville, NJ).
 
Up next for RPI are Liberty League games at Clarkson and St. Lawrence on Friday and Saturday, respectively.