Box Score |
RPI Athletics on TwitterHAMBURG, N.Y. – The Hilbert College men's basketball team closed the day with four players in double figure scoring and shot at a consistent 53% shooting for both periods to defeat Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 88-71 and win the 6th annual Tip-Off Tournament championship game for the second time.
Seniors Jerame Owens and Sean Weisansal matched offensive efforts, scoring 22 points each. Kirkland Ottey and Jalen Smith chipped in 11 and 10 points, respectively, to keep the Hawks at a perfect 4-0 overall record.
RPI's
Chase Almond hobbled through an ankle injury to lead the Engineers with 16 points and eight rebounds.
Andreas Kontopidis, who led the red and white yesterday with 24 points off the bench, again played over half the game and gave them 13 points, hitting a pair of 3's. RPI falls to 2-1.
Named to the 6th annual Tip-Off All-Tourney team were Anthony Bomar (Chatham), Robert Tutein (Utica), Kontopidis (RPI), Owens and Weisansal (Hilbert).
Hilbert, trailing 40-36 at half, had a tough time finding their rhythm in the first 20 minutes of action. The Hawks didn't run and push the tempo as they normally enjoy and the slower pace frustrated them. Each team scored 16 buckets with four 3-pointers, but RPI's four point lead was earned at the foul line, where they sank 4 of 5 shots vs. Hilbert's 0-1.
RPI extended its lead to eight points (44-36 at 19:06) before Weisansal's long ball started an 11-2 Hilbert run. Owens stole the ball at mid-court and went the distance for a breakaway layup to give the Hawks their first lead of the second half at 16:08. RPI hung close and forced four more ties, with their final (and only lead after that point) at 9:38.
Hilbert's fast break and up-temp pushed its lead to 10 (74-64) with just under five minutes left. Hilbert closed with 100% accuracy at the charity stripe, sinking all 10 shots over the final three minutes.
