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TROY, N.Y. - The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) women's basketball team held Bard College to just 27.1 percent shooting and caused 23 turnovers in defeating the Raptors 49-40 in a Liberty League contest at East Campus Arena. The Engineers, who had 12 steals in the contest, improve to 6-15 overall and 2-10 in the conference. Bard is now 5-18 and 0-14.

The game was a defensive battle throughout with the teams managing 12 points apiece in the first quarter and a total of 48 in the first half. RPI led 25-23 at the break behind a balanced offense that saw eight different players score at least one point. Freshman Sam Krumbhaar (Glen Burnie, MD / North County) had six points. Defensively, the home team held the Raptors to 34.5 percent (10 of 29) shooting while forcing a dozen turnovers. Bard was led on the offensive end by senior Bianka Bell's (Stamford, CT / Notre Dame-Fairfield) eight points and Tytravia Riley's (Miami, FL / Gulliver Prep) seven points and 10 rebounds.

The third quarter saw Rensselaer hold the Raptors to just four points and increase its lead to seven, 34-27. The Engineers then built a game-high 11-point advantage at 4:14 of the fourth, capped by an Ellen Boucher (Williston, VT / Rice Memorial) three-pointer. Bard fought back to within four points, 44-40, on a three-pointer by Bell with 1:23 to play, but RPI scored the final five points for the nine-point victory.

Boucher was Rensselaer's high scorer with 10 points, while sophomore Shaina Iton (Peekskill, NY / Peekskill) had eight points and 11 rebounds, along with four steals. The Engineers host Skidmore College on Friday at 6pm.

Bard, which made 16 of 59 shots in the contest, got a game-high 17 points from Bell and nine points and 19 rebounds from Riley. The Raptors return to the court on February 17 at Vassar College.