TROY, N.Y. - The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) men's basketball team smothered Union College defensively, holding the Dutchmen to under 30% shooting, and the Engineers won the Liberty League contest 61-50 at East Campus Arena. The victory was the ninth straight for RPI, which is now 9-2 overall and 4-0 in conference play. Union falls to 5-4 and 2-2.

Though it scored a season-low in a victory, RPI allowed just 24 first half points and 26 in the second behind a defense that allowed only 15 baskets on 54 attempts. Only six (of 24) came from behind the arc. The Engineers forced 17 turnovers and had 11 steals. Mason Memmelaar (3), Kevin Davis (2) and Dom Black (2) all had multiple swipes.

Rensselaer jumped out to a 17-2 lead and never trailed in the contest. Two baskets by both Davis and Memmelaar gave RPI an 8-0 lead 3:11 into the game before Union's Brian Noone scored on a jumper. Patrick Mahoney scored on a layup, Jonny Angbazo made a free throw, Jeffrey Coulter hit a jumper, Angbazo also made a jumper and Davis scored on a layup for a 15-point edge with just under 13 minutes to play in the first half. The margin increased to 25-6 before the Dutchmen went on a 16-4 run to get to within five points with two minutes left in the half. The score was 31-24 at halftime.

Mahoney opened the second half with back-to-back jumpers for an 11-point lead and Rensselaer had a multiple-possession lead the rest of the way. The closest the Dutchmen got was within seven points, 55-48, on a Chris Lovisolo triple with just over two minutes to play. 

Memmelaar led the Engineers with 16 points, along with five rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocked shots. Black had a dozen points, seven boards, two assists, two steals and two blocks and Davis added eight points, a game-high 11 rebounds and two steals. Mahoney finished with 11 points and five rebounds.

Union sophomore Mike Concannon led all scorers with 20 points, while freshman Mike Manley scored 14 with five rebounds.

The Dutchmen travel to RIT for a game on Saturday at 4pm, while the Engineers, who are on their longest winning streak since the 1990-91 team won 18 straight, host Skidmore College at 4pm. Both contests are Liberty League games.