Box Score | RPI Fanshop

WORCESTER, Mass. - Junior Ama Biney (Worcester, MA) totaled a career-high 28 points as the host Engineers forged a 73-40 victory over Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) on Saturday in the WPI Thanksgiving Classic opener in Harrington Auditorium.

WPI (4-1) opened with a 4-0 run in the first 2:24 of the contest. Junior Kate Godell (Shaftsbury, VT) put the guests in the board with a traditional three-point play at 6:38. The hosts pushed their lead to five only to see RPI (3-2) tie the game at 8-8 thanks to an and-one by sophomore Sam Krumbhaar (Glen Burnie, MD) with 3:32 remaining in the first quarter. Later in the stanza, sophomore Lakissa Martin (Las Vegas, NV) canned a pair of freebies to give Troy's Engineers the 12-11 advantage.

Biney made it an even 13-13 just over 30 seconds into the second quarter. It took nearly two minutes for another basket, this time by Martin at 7:44, to spark a 7-0 RPI run and force a timeout with 6:18 until the half. Biney hit a layup for the second WPI field goal of the frame at 5:28. Junior Madison Beck (Syracuse, NY) turned the scoreboard in the Crimson and Gray's favor with a pair from the charity stripe as part of an 11-0 run to close out the half.

The Boynton Hillers continued their run and staked a 23-point lead with 3:20 left in the third. Sophomore Elizabeth Eckhardt (Albany, NY) interrupted things with a layup to key a 6-2 RPI rally with less than three minutes remaining in the third. Biney began the fourth with a personal 5-0 run to make it a 30-point ballgame.

Junior Stasha Greenalch (Newington, CT) added 10 points, five assists and five steals as senior Sarah Rogers (Colchester, CT) tied her career-best with eight points. Beck also had eight points to go with eight rebounds for Worcester's Engineers. Junior Maura Buckley (Melrose, MA) chipped in with eight boards as well.

Eckhardt tallied 11 points as Krumbhaar and Martin each contributed six for RPI. On the defensive end, Eckhardt, Martin, junior Shaina Iton (Peekskill, NY) and Goddell each totaled four rebounds.

The WPI Thanksgiving Classic continues tomorrow as RPI takes on Springfield at 2pm and the hosts face Johnson & Wales at 4pm.