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TROY, N.Y. - Seniors Tyler Gendron and Chase Almond combined for 22 points and 17 rebounds with five assists, two steals and three blocks in leading the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) men's basketball team to a 60-51 victory over Hobart College in the Liberty League opener for both schools. The Engineers improve to 7-3 overall, while the Statesmen fall to 4-5.

Gendron (Merrimack, NH / Merrimack) scored a team-best 14 points on 5 of 10 shooting with four rebounds, two assists and a steal. Almond (South Kingstown, RI / South Kingstown) had a team-high 13 rebounds with eight points, three assists, a steal and a game-high three blocked shots as Rensselaer snapped a nine-game losing streak to Hobart.

The Engineers began the game by scoring the first nine points - seven from Gendron (4 points) and Almond (3) - and made it 13-2 seven minutes into the contest. Hobart answered with an 8-0 run to pull within 13-10 with 9:17 left in the first half. The remainder of the frame was close and RPI held a 28-22 lead at the break with Gendron scoring eight points, while Harrison DeMaira (Basking Ridge, NJ / Gill St. Bernard's School) had six points on the other end. 

The second half was much the same as the first with RPI going ahead by 10 points (35-25) 5:07 in, but Hobart immediately battling back behind five straight points from rookie Colin Dougherty (Lockport, NY / Westminster School).

Rensselaer held a three-point lead, 40-37, with 8:55 to play, before freshman Andreas Kontopidis (Sherborn, MA / Dover-Sherborn) made a three-point shot and classmate Tom Horvat (Cranston, RI / Providence Country Day) scored five straight points for a 48-37 Engineers bulge with 7:11 to play. Dougherty then scored on a layup, but Gendron hit a three-point basket 30 seconds later and RPI held a 12-point lead (51-39) with just over six minutes remaining. The Statesmen pulled to within seven points on two occasions, but a pair of free throws by Gendron with 15 seconds left gave Rensselaer its nine-point victory, 60-51.

The Statesmen were led by Dougherty, a rookie who had 15 points. Classmate Jamal Lucas (New York, NY / Kent School) scored 10 points with seven rebounds and junior guard Pete Drescher (Fayetteville, NY / Tilton School) had a game-high 14 rebounds with four points.

RPI returns to the court on Sunday afternoon, hosting Clarkson University in another league contest at East Campus Arena. The Statesmen play at Skidmore College on Sunday. Both games begin at 4pm.