Box Score | RPI Athletics on Instagram

TROY, N.Y. - Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) held Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) to just over 21 percent shooting and the Tigers pulled down 59 rebounds in defeating the Engineers, 58-48, in a Liberty League women's basketball game at East Campus Arena.

RIT allowed only 16 field goals in the contest, including just seven the second half, on its way to improving to 8-0 overall and 1-0 in the conference. Rensselaer, which held the visitors to 28.8 percent shooting, falls to 5-5 and 0-1.

The game began with RIT holding a six point lead, 16-10, after the first quarter, but RPI pulled to within 26-25 at halftime. Neither team allowed the other to shoot particularly well in the first 20 minutes as Rensselaer was held to 23.7 percent (9 of 38), while the Tigers connected on 24.3 percent (9 of 37). RIT, which led for nearly 18 minutes (17:37) of the frame, had eight first half turnovers and RPI had 10. 

Tara Lynch (Green Township, NJ / Newton) had 10 rebounds for the visitors, who had 29 as a team, and Shaina Iton (Peekskill, NY / Peekskill) had nine for Rensselaer.

RIT scored the first two points of the second half on a pair of free throws from Julia Bender (Webster, NY / Webster Thomas), but a three-point basket by Sam Krumbhaar (Glen Burnie, MD / North County) pulled the home team even, 28-28. Following baskets by both teams for a 30-30 tie, the Tigers scored seven straight points on a three-point shot from Cori Okada (Fullerton, CA / Troy), a layup from Lynch and a Bender layup for a 37-30 advantage with just over five minutes left in the third quarter. Another layup from Bender with 2:34 left made it an eight-point lead (39-31) but RPI came back to cut it to three points, 39-36, after three quarters.

The margin was two points in RIT's favor, 42-40, with 7:29 left in the fourth quarter before the visitors scored five straight points and eight of 10 for a 50-42 lead with 4:42 to go. RPI battled back to within four (50-46) with just under two minutes to play, but the Tigers made a jumper and five free throws to hold off the Engineers.

Okadi led RIT in scoring with 13 points, while Bender added 12 points with 11 rebounds. Lynch also had a double-double, collecting 10 points and a game-high 14 rebounds.

For RPI, Krumbhaar scored 13 points, while Elizabeth Eckhardt (Albany, NY / Guilderland) totaled 12 points with nine rebounds. Iton had a team-best 10 - of Rensselaer's 52 - rebounds.

The Engineers return to the court on Saturday at noon against St. Lawrence University. RIT travels to Skidmore College for a 12pm contest.