Box Score | RPI Athletics Fanshop

TROY, N.Y. - Ines Ortea scored 28 points, Elizabeth Eckhardt had 19 and LaKissa Martin scored 19 to lead the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) women's basketball team to an 81-65 victory over Wheaton College in a non-league game at East Campus Arena. The Engineers led for most of the game in improving to 5-1. The Lyons, who had won two straight games, fall to 2-2.

Rensselaer scored the last four points of the first quarter for a 19-15 lead after 10 minutes and extended its advantage to 23-15 within the first minute of the second quarter. After shooting 50% (9 of 18) from the field, including 4 of 8 from behind the arc, in the second frame, the Engineers held a 46-33 edge at the break. Martin, a senior, had 13 points with five rebounds in the first half, while both Eckhardt and Ortea scored a dozen points. They were both 5 of 10 from the field with Ortea collecting seven rebounds.
 
Wheaton was good on 13 of 31 shots (41.9%) in the first half with Alexis Romer scoring 10 points on 4 of 4 shooting from the field and 2 of 2 from the free throw line.

RPI's lead remained near double digits through the first four minutes of the third quarter, but the Lyons got a three-pointer from the left corner from Natalie Wind, a layup from Sara McLeman and a three from Abby Hamilton to cut their deficit to just three points, 52-49, with 4:29 to play. 

Eckhardt answered with a jumper and Martin scored inside to make it 56-49. A pair of free throws from Mikayla Pucci pulled the visitors to within five points, but Ortea scored on a layup. A McLeman jumper gave Wheaton 20 points for the frame (20-12) and put the score at 58-53 in favor of RPI after three quarters.

McLeman began the fourth quarter with a pair of free throws to make it a three-point contest, but RPI went on a 7-1 run, including five points from Eckhardt. The Lyons twice came within five points, but RPI answered both times, including a jump shot from Eckhardt and a three-point play from Ortea.

The Engineers made 28 of 64 shots (43.8%) from the field and 19 of 27 from the free throw line (70.4%) to win their second straight game. In addition to her double-double, Ortea also had three assists, two steals and two blocked shots. Eckhardt added three assists and Martin had nine rebounds, two assists and three steals.

Four players reached double figures for Wheaton with McLeman and Wind leading the way with 14 points apiece. Pucci scored 13 and Romer had 10 points. McLeman had nine rebounds for the Lyons, who made 25 of 63 shots (39.7%), including 7 of 10 from the free throw line.

Wheaton returns to action on Wednesday when it hosts WPI at 7pm. RPI plays again on Friday when it travels to Clarkson for its Liberty League opener (5pm).