TROY, N.Y. – Senior
Mason Memmelaar scored a career-high 27 points to lead the 23rd-ranked Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) men's basketball team to a 74-59 victory over Skidmore College, on Sunday afternoon at East Campus Arena. With the win, the Engineers improve to 12-2 overall (6-1 Liberty League), while the Thoroughbreds drop to 6-6 (2-4 Liberty League).
Memmelaar scored 18 of his 27 points in the first half, to help the hosts to a 41-23 advantage. Skidmore kept things close in the first 10 minutes of the stanza, even drawing to within four (27-23) on a three-pointer by Ty Lamport with 5:14 on the clock.
RPI closed out the half on a 14-0 run, including 10 points from Memmelaar. The Engineers shot 64.3% from the floor in the opening 20 minutes, including 3-of-5 from beyond the arc.
In the second half, Rensselaer immediately extended its advantage to 20 (43-23) on a lay-up from fifth-year senior
Patrick Mahoney.
A Jump shot from Riley Greene and lay-in by Greg Skoric kept the Thoroughbreds within 14 around the five minute mark of the half.
The two teams then traded baskets until the midway point of the half, when a Skoric jumper cut the RPI lead to 55-43. The Engineers answered immediately with a bucket by Mahoney and a three from
Will Rubin to push the advantage to more comfortable 60-43 tally.
RPI's lead expanded to as many as 22 points (73-51) with four minutes to play, before another Skoric basket in the final minute brought the contest to its final score.
Memmelaar added eight rebounds to his afternoon's work, while Mahoney netted 17 points, along with eight boards and a steal. Rubin scored 12 with six rebounds, three steals and one assist.
Skidmore was led by Lamport's 23 points, four rebounds and one assist. Skoric added 16 points, nine boards and four steals, while Greene was credited with 11 points and a steal.
RPI scored 50 points in the paint compared to Skidmore's 34 and registered 15 second chance points to five for the T'breds.
The Engineers travel to Ithaca on Tuesday for a rescheduled contest against the Bombers (5pm), before hosting Union on Friday (7:30pm). Skidmore hosts RIT and Union next weekend.
