TROY, N.Y. - Junior Heather Converse had a double-double of 11 points and 16 rebounds and the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) women's basketball team held a 22-rebound edge in defeating Bard College 61-48 in a Liberty League game at Stevenson Athletic Center. The Engineers improve to 2-4 and 1-2 in the conference and now have a break from games until January 1. The Raptors drop to 1-7 and 0-3.

Converse, a forward, made 5 of 10 shots from the floor and pulled down five offensive rebounds to lead the Engineers. She also had a block, a steal and an assist in 35 minutes of action. Joining her in double-digits in points were classmates Nicole DaPra, who had a team-high 16 points, and Lolo Reynolds, who scored 11 points. Reynolds added eight rebounds, a career-high eight assists and three steals.

Five others also scored and seven others also had rebounds, including six apiece from Emily Vallee and Marley Mueller, for the visitors.

Rensselaer scored eight of the 15 points that were scored in the first quarter and then went into the half with a 21-17 advantage. It was in the third quarter where it put significant separation on the board, outscoring the Raptors by 12 points (26-14) for a 47-31 lead. DaPra scored a dozen points in the third, including a pair of three-pointers, while Ashlyn O'Neil tallied six and Reynolds had five. 

Bard, which outscored the Engineers 17-14 in the fourth, was led by Christina Kiser (22 points) and Olivia Couture (11 points).

The Engineers travel to Maine for their game on New Year's Day. They face Maine Maritime at 5pm as part of the Bowdoin Coastal Classic. The Raptors host league foe St. Lawrence on January 7 at 5:30pm.