Box Score | Text Msg Alerts

TROY, N.Y. - Junior Ashley Clough scored 24 points and pulled down 12 rebounds - both game-highs - to lead the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) women's basketball team to a 75-54 win over Union College in a Liberty League contest at East Campus Arena. The first place Engineers improve to 3-0 in league play and 7-5 overall, while the Dutchwomen drop to 1-2 and 6-4.

The team's leading scorer, Clough (West Chesterfield, NH / Keene) tallied almost seven points more than her season average by making 10 of 18 shots from the field, including three three-pointers, and a free throw. Of her 12 rebounds, four came on the offensive end. She also had a steal and a block in 35 minutes. Senior Amanda Lynch (Middletown, NY / John S. Burke) scored 13 points with five rebounds and classmate Bailei Tetrault (Cohoes, NY / Cohoes) added 10 points with three assists and two steals. Freshman Shaina Iton (Peekskill, NY / Peekskill) finished with eight points and 11 rebounds, two assists and two blocks.

The Dutchwomen were led by senior Kate Thompson (Clinton, NY / Clinton), who had 15 points and seven rebounds, alogn with two assists, two blocks and steal. Sophomore Abby Katz (Andover, MA / Andover) had a team-high eight rebounds, including five offensive, with four points and a steal. Erin Lyons (Pittsford, NY / Pittsford Mendon) was also active, scoring eight points with six rebounds.

Union jumped out to a 6-3 lead in the first three minutes of the game before RPI scored the next seven points for a four-point advantage, 10-6. The visitors kept things close the next three minutes, but the Engineers began to pull away by scoring 10 of the next 14 points for a 20-10 advantage with 6:57 left in the first half. The lead increased to 28-12 when Clough made a jump shot with 3:54 left and the Engineers led, 35-20 at halftime. RPI shot 40.5% (15 of 37) in the first half, while holding the Dutchwomen to just 28.6% (8 of 28) shooting. 

The second half followed suit as the lowest lead RPI held was 11 points, which happened on two separate occasions, once at the 7:37 mark and again with 5:36 to go. Rensselaer outscored Union 16-6 the rest of the way for the final margin.

The Engineers host Skidmore College, which is also 3-0 in the Liberty League (7-5 overall) on Saturday at 2pm, while the Dutchwomen welcome Bard College for a league matchup, also at 2pm.