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ROCHESTER, N.Y. - Freshman guard Tom Horvat scored a team-best 20 points to lead the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) men's basketball team to an 84-71 win over Wilkes University in the opening round of the Woodcliff Hotel and Spa Invitational hosted by St. John Fisher. The Engineers improve to 6-2 and play the Cardinals in the championship game on Wednesday at 3pm. The Colonels drop to 3-7 and face Cazenovia College in the consolation game (1pm).

RPI jumped out to an early six-point lead with the help of two three-pointers from Horvat (Cranston, RI / Providence Country Day) and one from junior Nate Kane (Glenmont, NY / Bethlehem Central) and eventually got it to an 10-point advantage nine minutes into the contest. A free throw from senior Chase Almond (South Kingstown, RI / South Kingstown) put the Engineers ahead by 14 points with 26 seconds left and Rensselaer led 47-33 at halftime.

Horvat had 10 first half points and Almond added nine. RPI shot 58.1% with 14 assists on 18 baskets (of 31) in the first 20 minutes. Wilkes made 12 of 29 shots (41.4%).

An Asa Barnhill (Gloversville, NY / Gloversville) three-pointer six minutes into the second half, followed by a free throw from Almond about a minute later put Rensselaer ahead by 16 points (61-45) and the Engineers held a double-digit advantage for the next four minutes. Alec Wisar (Lebanon, PA/Annville Cleona) pulled the Colonels to within six points with a layup with 7:13 to play, but Horvat made a pair of free throws before stealing the ball and making two more shots from the foul line and RPI led 72-62 with 6:30 left in the second half. The Engineers outscored Wilkes 12-9 from that point on for the 13-point final margin.

Horvat made 6 of 14 shots with 4 of 10 coming from behind the arc. He also had four free throws (5 attempts) with three rebounds and a game-high six steals. Senior Tyler Gendron (Merrimack, NH / Merrimack) had 16 points on 5 of 9 shooting (3 of 5 from 3-point range), while Almond had 12 points and a team-high six rebounds. Junior Jonathan Luster (Essex, CT / Valley Regional) dished out five assists.

Freshman Connor Evans led all Wilkes scorers with a career-high 18 points.