NEWBURGH, N.Y. - Three student-athletes reached double figures in scoring and the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) men's basketball team scored the last nine points of the first half and the first five of the second in defeating Mount Saint Mary 77-54 in a non-league game at the Kaplan Center. The No. 22 Engineers are now 8-0, which is the best start for the squad since the 1944-45 team won its first 13 games before losing to Bowling Green in the NIT Tournament at Madison Square Garden in the season finale.

Leading 29-22 with just over two minutes remaining in the first half, RPI rattled off the final nine points of the frame, beginning with a three-pointer from senior Patrick Mahoney. Jonny Angbazo, who led RPI's scorers with 17 points, scored on a fast break dunk and Will Rubin made it 37-15 with a trey. He added a free throw about 45 seconds later to give the visitors a 36-22 edge going into the locker room.

Rubin, a guard who finished with 14 points, began the second half with another three-pointer and Mahoney had a layup as Rensselaer nearly doubled up the Knights, 43-22. Paul Sienke broke the Engineers' string, but a three by Mahoney two minutes into the stanza pushed the lead back to 22 points, 46-24. It eventually grew to 28 points (58-30) on an Angbazo free throw at 13:03 and remained around 20 points the rest of the contest.

Angbazo, a junior forward, was 8 of 19 from the field with two assists, two blocks and three steals in 27 minutes. Mahoney finished with 15 points and a team-high seven rebounds and Rubin reached double digits on 4 of 4 shooting (3 of 3 from 3-point range) with three free throws. He also had six rebounds, an assist and a blocked shot.

The Knight's Chris Yearwood led all scorers with 20 points, including four treys, while Sienke had a dozen and five rebounds. Mount Saint Mary (3-6) is back in action on December 30 at Marywood.

RPI returns to the court on December 29 against Oswego State for the first round of the St. John Fisher College Tournament. Tip off is 7pm.