TROY, N.Y. – Less than 24 hours after putting five players in double figures, the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) men's basketball team put four in the same category and the Engineers held Vassar College to only 13 points over the final 16 minutes on their way to defeating the Brewers 78-60 in a Liberty League game at East Campus Arena. With the win, RPI improves to 15-6 overall and 9-5 in the conference, while the Brewers drop to 13-8 and 9-5. The two teams are in a three-way tie for second place in the league, just 1.5 games out of first place.
 
With the score tied at 47-47 with 15:59 to play in the second half, Rensselaer rattled off seven straight points for a 54-47 lead. Dom Black scored on a layup, Jonny Angbazo hit a jumper, and Black nailed a three to make it 54-47 with 11:55 left. Vassar got back on the scoreboard with a three from Kevin McAuliffe at 11:29, but Brian Kelly countered off a Vassar turnover to make it 57-50.
 
An Avni Mustafaj free throw pulled the visitors to within six points, 57-51, but a layup by Black, a jumper off a fast break by Dylan Matchett, and another hoop from Black gave the Engineers a 63-51 bulge with 6:28 to play. The Brewers got it down to a difference of nine points on two occasions, including with 4:18 to play, but a 10-point run by RPI sealed the victory.
 
Black had a game-high 18 points, along with eight rebounds, while Will Rubin scored 17 points with three rebounds, two assists, a block, and three steals. Angbazo chipped in 14 points and Kelly added 12.
 
The Engineers finished the game shooting 47.5 percent from the floor (29 of 61), including 54.5 percent from three (12 of 22). On the other end, the Brewers came out and made 11 of 19 first half shots (57.8%) but still trailed 40-38 at the break. They managed only 23.0 percent shooting in the second half (6 of 26) and were 9 of 24 (37.5%) from behind the arc in the game.
 
McAuliffe led Vassar with 16 points, while Jack Rothenberg scored 13 with nine boards.