TROY, N.Y. – Freshman guard Tom Horvat scored a career-high 29 points to lead the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) men's basketball team to a 68-66 victory over Middlebury College, on Tuesday at East Campus Arena. With the win, the Engineers improve to 4-1 overall, while the Panthers drop to 2-4.

Horvat (Cranston, RI/Providence Country Day) netted 16 of team-leading 29 points in the second half, connecting on 6 of 11 field goal attempts. Middlebury junior Jake Brown had a team-best 20 points, with 14 coming in the second stanza.

A Horvat three-pointer at 6:59 of the second half gave the Engineers their largest lead of the second half at 50-39. Middlebury freshman Hilal Dahleh (Cambridge, MA/Belmont Hill) quickly answered with a three of his own, to pull the visitors back to within eight (50-42).

RPI kept its three possession lead until the 13:47 mark of the half, when Panthers freshman Zach Baines (Stamford, CT/Greens Farms Academy) finished off a lay-up to cut the hosts lead to 56-51.

The Engineers answered on the ensuing possession as freshman Marcus Giese (Franklin, MA/Franklin) found senior captain Tyler Gendron (Merrimack, NH/Merrimack) on a back-door cut and easy finish at the rim.

Middlebury senior Matt Daley (Fairfield,CT/Fairfield Prep) made a lay-up and followed that up with a 1 out of 2 trip to the line to make it a four-point game (60-54) with 4:30 remaining.

Following an RPI miss, Daley scored inside off a pass from Brown to cut the deficit to 60-56.

Horvat came right back with a lay-in off a give-and-go with Giese to push the lead back to six (62-56), before two free throws from Middlebury junior Matt St. Amour (Swanton, VT/Missisquoi Valley) made it a four-point game with 3:21 to play.

Giese hit 1 of 2 free throws and Horvat scored on a fast break to push the RPI advantage back to seven (65-58), but St. Amour drilled a triple with 2:15 left to make it a four-point game once again.

St. Amour then made 1 of 2 at the line to draw to within three (65-62).

After a miss at the other end, RPI junior Nate Kane (Glenmont, NY/Bethlehem Central) drew a charge on St. Amour, who attempted to force his way into the lane.

The Engineers then used up the shot clock before getting a long two-point attempt that was off the mark. Brown found some space along the right baseline and hit a 16-footer to make it a one-point game (65-64).

Kane then calmly hit two free throws to go up three (67-64) with 21 seconds to play, but Brown drew a quick foul on a drive to the basket and made it a one-point game once again.

RPI junior Jonathan Luster (Essex, CT/Valley Regional) was able to make the front end of his two foul shots and the Panthers were unable to get a shot away before the buzzer sounded.

Horvat also had five rebounds, two assists and a game-high four steals. Gendron finished with 10 points on 4 of 9 shooting, with seven boards and an assist. Giese had six points, six rebounds, four assists, two blocks and a steal.

For Middlebury, Daley turned in a double-double of 15 points and 13 rebounds, to go along with two assists a block and a steal. St. Amour had 13 points, seven boards and a steal, while going 7 of 12 from the field.

STREAK ENDER:
The Engineers ended a nine-game losing streak to Middlebury with their win on Tuesday night. RPI last defeated the Panthers on November 30, 2006, when won, 69-64, in Middlebury.

HOME STREAK TOO:
The win over Middlebury was the first at home since January 6, 2001, when the Engineers turned away the Panthers by a final score of 76-68 at the Armory.

ANOTHER HIGH SCORE:
Freshman Tom Horvat netted a career-high 29 points for the Engineers on Tuesday. His previous high was 17, which he recorded twice in RPI's first four games.

MOST SINCE 2012:
Horvat's 29 points are the most by an RPI player since Brendan Farley '13 scored 31 on December 8, 2012 against Fisher College.

UP NEXT:
The Engineers are back in action on December 12 and 13, when they host the Tri-State Shootout at East Campus Arena. RPI takes on Vermont Tech on Saturday (2pm) and either MCLA or Southern Vermont on Sunday (1pm or 3pm).
Middlebury visits Johnson State on Thursday at 7pm.