Box Score | RPI Athletics on Instagram

TROY, N.Y. - The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) women's basketball team jumped out to a 26-2 lead after the first quarter and a 42-15 edge at halftime on its way to defeating Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (ACPHS), 87-37, in the first game of the Engineers Classic at East Campus Arena. Nine different student-athletes scored in the first half alone and 12 tallied in the game as the Engineers improved to 2-0. ACPHS drops to 0-2.

Rensselaer jumped out to a 13-0 lead in the first five minutes with junior LaKissa Martin (Las Vegas, NV / Rancho) scoring five points and senior Kate Goodell (Shaftsbury, VT / Mount Union Anthony) three. Daniella Scanlon (Staten Island, NY) got the Panthers on the board with a layup, but the Engineers notched the next 13 points to close out the quarter. RPI made 11 of 19 shots from the floor (57.9%) in the first 10 minutes, while ACPHS was just 1 of 10 (10%).

Seven different Engineers scored in the second frame, including junior Elizabeth Eckhardt (Albany, NY / Guilderland), who notched two baskets for four points and Rensselaer led by 27 points at halftime.

Sophomore Ines Ortea (Madrid, Spain / Fillmore Central) led all scorers with 10 points along with six rebounds, including five offensive, in eight first half minutes. Freshman Courtney Lewis (Port Jefferson, NY / Port Jefferson) had seven points, while Goodell and Eckhardt both scored six. RPI held the edge in rebounding, 25-10, while forcing 12 turnovers.

Five different players scored in the half for the Panthers, who were led by Dannie Griffin's (Paramus, NJ) five points and four rebounds. She finished with nine points and a game-high 12 rebounds with two assists in 39 minutes.

Lewis led five RPI players in double digits with 17 points along with three rebounds, two assists and two steals in 17 minutes. Martin finished with 11 points and Eckhardt, Ortea and Sam Krumbhaar (Glen Burnie, MD / North County) each had 10 points. Senior Shaina Iton (Peekskill, NY / Peekskill) had four points with a team-high 11 rebounds, two assists, a steal and three blocked shots. 

The tournament continues on Saturday with ACPHS playing Wesleyan University at noon with the Engineers facing Salem State University at 2pm.