TROY, N.Y. -- Four players reached double figure scoring totals, led by Chase Almond with 20, as Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) defeated Vassar, 78-50, in Liberty League men's basketball action on Tuesday evening at East Campus Arena. With the win, RPI improves to 6-13, with a 3-7 mark in league play, while Vassar also stands at 6-13 overall, and 2-8 in the conference.

The teams played a close start to the game, and the score was tied at 10-10 with 13:59 to play after an Almond jumper. That basket sparked a 5-0 run for the Engineers which was ended at 10:31 on a 3-pointer by the Brewers Erikson Wasyl (Durham, CT / Coginchaug). Rensselaer then embarked on an 11-0 run that spanned the next six minutes, starting with a layup from Tyler Gendron (Merrimack, N.H. / Merrimack) and ending with a trey from Josh Dugas (Monroe, CT / St. Luke's), which put the Engineers on top, 26-13, with 4:35 to play in the first half. RPI ended the half with eight unanswered points, taking a 34-16 lead into the locker room thanks to a dunk from Brian Hatcher (Danbury, CT / Immaculate) with just seven seconds to play. 

The Engineers continued to roll through the second half, holding onto a lead in the mid-twenties for most of the stanza. The biggest lead of the half to that point came at 6:03, as Almond (South Kingstown, RI / South Kingstown) hit a free throw to push the Rensselaer advantage to 69-40. Vassar's Tony Caletti (Mill Valley, CA / Branson) hit a 3-pointer with just under four minutes to play in the game, but a layup by Gendron, followed by a trey from Asa Barnhill (Gloversville, NY / Gloversville) extended the RPI lead to 30 points, 76-46, with 2:36 to play. The Brewers got four straight free throws in the final 2:27, but a jumper by Jarrett Boeglin (Lexington, MA / Lexington) in the last minute of play set the final score.

Almond, who went 5-for-6 from the floor and 10-of-13 from the free throw line, also led all players with eight rebounds. Gendron chipped in with 15 points, while Hatcher added 13 points, two assists, and a team-high five steals. Jonathan Luster (Essex, CT / Valley Regional) was the final Engineer to reach double figures, scoring 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the floor. For the game, RPI shot 42.9 percent (28-52) from the field, and 84.2 percent (16-19) from the charity stripe. The Engineers outrebounded the Brewers, 36-26.

Wasyl led Vassar with 13 points, while Alex Snyder (Rutland, VT / Rutland) and Jesse Browne (Barrington, RI / Deerfield Academy) added ten points apiece.

RPI will return to actoin on Friday, visiting RIT in continued Liberty League action at 8 p.m. Vassar visits Clarkson on Saturday at 6 p.m.