GENEVA, N.Y. - Liberty League men's basketball leader Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) closed out the regular season with a 79-54 win at Hobart College on Saturday at Bristol Gym. The Engineers jumped out to an early lead and never trailed on the way to their sixth straight win.
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RPI (21-4, 15-3) got a double-double from
Jonny Angbazo, who was 9-of-13 shooting with a pair of threes and 3-for-4 at the line for a game-high 23 points to go with a game-high 11 rebounds.
Mason Memmelaar added 16 points and
Dom Black chipped in 11.
Will Rubin finished with eight points, six rebounds, seven assists and three steals.
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Hobart (12-13, 9-9) got eight points from all three Meshanic brothers, Jackson, Carter and Hunter. Jackson Meshanic also grabbed a team-high seven rebounds.
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The Engineers scored the first nine points of the game and 17 of the first 23 to break the game open early. Angbazo posted nine points during RPI's 17-5 opening run.
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Inside the two-minute mark of the first half, Hunter Meshanic made a three pointer off an assist to pull the Statesmen within 10, but the Engineers ended the first half on an 8-3 run. RPI led 38-23 at the break.
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The Engineers pushed their lead to 25 with a 10-0 run to start the second half and kept Hobart at bay down the stretch.
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RPI is the top seed in the Liberty League Tournament, finishing two-games ahead of second place Ithaca. The Engineers host the semifinals and championship game on February 26-27.
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Hobart finished sixth in the league standings, a half game behind fifth place Skidmore. As the sixth seed, the Statesmen will travel to No. 3 Vassar (15-8, 11-6) on Tuesday, February 22. The teams split their regular season series with the Brewers winning 68-65 on their home floor in December. Hobart earned a 73-68 win in Geneva on Friday night.
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