Box Score |
RPI FanshopTROY, N.Y. - The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) men's basketball team scored the final 13 points of the game and the Engineers defeated St. Lawrence University (SLU) by 11 points, 72-61, in a Liberty League contest at East Campus Arena. RPI improves to 8-7 overall and 2-4 in the conference, while SLU drops to 7-7 and 3-3.
Trailing 61-59 with just over two minutes to play, RPI tied the game on an
Asa Barnhill (Gloversville, NY / Gloversville) put-back off an offensive rebound. Teammate
Jonathan Luster (Essex, CT / Valley Regional) then made a three-point shot from the top of the key with 1:30 to go and after a St. Lawrence turnover,
Tyler Gendron (Merrimack, NH / Merrimack) scored on a layup for a 66-61 lead with 53 seconds remaining. Another defensive stop for the home team led to a pair of made free throws by
Tom Horvat (Cranston, RI / Providence Country Day) with Luster making two more just seconds later for a nine-point advantage (70-61). Luster finished the scoring with a layup with 15 seconds left on the clock and the Engineers snapped a four-game losing streak.
Horvat led the way with 15 points, along with four rebounds, a game-high five assists and a steal. He was one of four Engineers to reach double figures, joined by Gendron, who scored 14, and Luster and
Marcus Giese (Franklin, MA / Franklin), who had 10 points apiece.
Chase Almond (South Kingstown, RI / South Kingstown) contributed seven points and a game-high 10 rebounds.
There were 15 lead changes in the game, which saw Rensselaer make 54 percent (27 of 50) of its shots, including 59.3% (16 of 27) in the first half. Defensively, the Engineers held the Saints to 37.1 percent (23 of 62) shooting.
St. Lawrence, which fought back from a 37-32 halftime deficit to take a one-point lead with 12:32 to play, got 14 points from both Willie Zachary (Atlanta, GA / Druid Hills) and Kyle Kobis (Elma, NY / Berkshire School). Zachery added two rebounds, two assists and two steals, while Kobis had six boards, three assists and two steals. Riley Naclerio (Cohoes, NY / Albany Academy) had seven points and a team-high nine rebounds.
Both SLU and RPI return to the court on Saturday at 4pm in Liberty League contests. The Saints play at Union College, while the Engineers travel to Skidmore College.
