Box Score | RPI Athletics on Instagram

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Juniors Celia Tomlinson and Ines Ortea both registered double-doubles and seniors LaKissa Martin and Elizabeth Eckhardt also scored in double figures as the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) women's basketball team defeated Skidmore College, 74-64. The win snapped a two-game skid for the Engineers, who improve to 9-8 overall and 4-6 in the Liberty League. The Thoroughbreds lost for the third straight game to drop to 5-14 and 4-8.

Tomlinson had 15 points and 10 rebounds in 22 minutes, while Ortea scored 16 points with 10 boards and a game-high four assists in 37 minutes. Martin led all scorers with 20 points on 7 of 8 shooting, along with eight rebounds, while Eckhardt had 14 points. 

Rensselaer broke out to a 9-5 lead in the first quarter, but the Thoroughbreds enjoyed a 13-0 spurt to take an 18-9 edge. RPI pulled to within 18-13 at the end of the first quarter and then continued what would be a 24-4 lead at halftime. Ortea and Eckhardt both had six points in the second frame, while Tomlinson had five and Martin scored three points to give Rensselaer a 33-22 lead at the break.

Ortea scored the first two baskets of the second half and Martin had the third for a 17-point bulge (39-22) and the Engineers led by double digits for the large majority of the rest of the contest. 

Kate McCarney paced Skidmore with 15 points, including nine in the first half, while Haley English scored 11. Two others had 10 points for the Thoroughbreds, who were outrebounded 46-32.

RPI returns home on Tuesday when it plays William Smith College at 5pm. Skidmore plays again on February 1 at Ithaca College (5pm).