TROY, N.Y. - Junior Ashlyn O'Neil scored 21 points, classmate Heather Converse had 12 points and 15 rebounds and the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) women's basketball team outscored Bard College by 18 points in the second half in defeating the Raptors 75-57 in a Liberty League contest at East Campus Arena.

With the score deadlocked at 29-29 entering the third quarter, the Engineers opened things up by shooting 50 percent (10 of 20) from the field, while holding Bard to just 22 percent (2 of 9) from the floor in the stanza.

The teams traded baskets to open the quarter before RPI went on an 12-3 run, highlighted by an 8-0 stretch, for a 43-35 advantage midway through. A jumper by Lolo Reynolds four minutes later gave Rensselaer a 10-point cushion (48-38) with 1:29 to play and O'Neil ended the frame with a trey from the left wing at the buzzer to make it 51-38. 

O'Neil had seven points in the third, while Converse scored four with three rebounds. Bard's Christina Kiser, who had 18 points in the first half, was held to three points on the other end.

Erin Doyle scored on a jumper 32 seconds into the fourth to put RPI ahead by 15 (53-38) and the lead remained double digits until a long Kiser three pointer from the top of the key pulled the visitors to within 60-52 with 6:01 to go. RPI answered immediately with a trey from Nicole DaPra, but the Raptors scored three straight points to again get with eight (63-55). The Engineers would allow only two more points while scoring 12 themselves to close out the contest.

O'Neil made 10 of 19 shots for team-high 21 points, while Converse was 4 of 8 from the field and 4 of 7 from the free throw line. Seven of her game-high 15 boards came on offense. DaPra finished with 12 points and Doyle had 10 with six assists, which were second to Reynold's who dished out seven. The Engineers recorded 26 assists on their 32 baskets and turned the ball over only 11 times compared to 17 by Bard.

Kiser had game-high honors with 35 points on 11 of 21 shooting, including 5 of 13 from behind the arc. She also had a team-high eight rebounds with three assists and three steals.

RPI (4-15; 3-11 Liberty League) is back on the floor on Friday when St. Lawrence University visits, while the Raptors (1-17; 0-13 Liberty League) host Skidmore College. Both games begin at 5:30pm.