TROY, N.Y. - Celia Tomlinson scored 20 points and Ines Ortea had 18 to lead the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) women's basketball team to a 74-60 victory over St. Lawrence University in the Liberty League opener for both teams. The Engineers have now won five straight games to improve to 5-1, while the Saints fall to 2-4.

Tomlinson, a senior, led all scorers with her 20 points, while also pulling down five rebounds to go with five assists, three blocks and a steal. Ortea, also a senior, added five rebounds, three assists and two steals for RPI, which forced 22 turnovers with the help of 13 steals. Sam Krumbhaar, another senior, finished with 13 points, five rebounds, two assists and a game-high four steals, while junior Courtney Lewis scored 10 points with three boards, an assist and two steals. 

Erin Kumler led St. Lawrence with 17 points and Ava McCann scored 13. Olivia Barringer had 12 points and seven rebounds, which were second to Nicole Jeffrey's 10 boards. Jeffrey also had six points. 

RPI jumped out to a 9-2 lead to start the game, but the Saints pulled to within one, 19-18, by the end of the frame. A three-pointer by Lewis to begin the second quarter was followed by a Tomlinson layup plus a free throw for a seven point lead (25-18), but a McCann three-pointer cut the St. Lawrence deficit to 25-21. Back-to-back baskets by Tomlinson and Ortea gave RPI a 29-21 edge, but Kumler answered with a three-pointer. Katie Frederick then scored in the paint to get the visitors to within three (29-26) but a pair of free throws from Kristen Young made it a five-point game with 3:07 left in the first half.

The score remained within two possessions for the rest of the quarter with RPI leading 37-31 at the break.

The Engineers came out in the third quarter and made 56.3% (9 of 16) of its shots while holding St. Lawrence to 38.9% (7 of 18) to increase its lead by four points. A layup by RPI's Lyndsey Stone halfway through the quarter made it 50-40 and a three from Ortea two minutes later put the home team ahead 55-44. 

Tomlinson (4 points) and Lewis (3) scored the first three baskets of the fourth quarter for a 17-point lead (66-49) with 8:40 to play and the advantage remained double digits the rest of the contest.

Both teams are back in action on Saturday afternoon at 2pm with the Engineers hosting Clarkson University and St. Lawrence playing at Union College. Both games are conference contests.