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ROCHESTER, N.Y. - Sophomore
Elizabeth Eckhardt scored on a layup with 13 seconds remaining to lift the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) women's basketball team to a 66-64 win over at Liberty League foe RIT on Saturday at Clark Gym.
RPI trailed 64-63 when it regained the ball off a
Shaina Iton blocked shot and a defensive rebound by
Lauren Young. After both teams called timeout with 15 seconds remaining in regulation, Eckhardt scored from the paint for a 65-64 lead. An RIT miss was rebounded by
LaKissa Martin and the sophomore made 1 of 2 free throws with two seconds left on the clock for the final margin.
The Engineers, who are now 6-9 overall and 1-5 in the conference, had four players in double figures. Iton had 14 points to go with a game-high 19 rebounds, while Young scored a team-best 15 points. Eckhardt (12 points) and
Ines Ortea (11 points) also helped out the RPI offense.
Ashlynn Palmitesso led all scorers with 25 points, including five three-pointers and 9-for-19 shooting from the floor. Cori Okada added 13 points, along with four rebounds and four assists for the Tigers, who fall to 9-5 and 2-4.
The first half saw plenty of back and forth play. Palmitesso started hot, scoring seven points and adding an assist in the game's first seven minutes. The first quarter saw a 23-18 Engineers lead, but the Tigers cut into that in the second quarter, outscoring Rensselaer 15-12 in the second quarter. RPI led by three, 35-32, behind Young's 12 points. Palmitesso also had a dozen points in the first 20 minutes.
The Tigers held a 54-51 lead going into the final quarter, but they could not increase it past four in the fourth. The Engineers caught fire and took a 63-62 lead with 4:11 left. Neither team would score for the next 3:13, until two free throws by RIT's Abby Judd gave the home team the lead with 58 seconds left.
The win was Rensselaer's 18th in 29 meetings with the Tigers and it snapped a four-game losing streak to RIT.