TROY, N.Y.- The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) men's basketball team edged SUNY Cortland 55-49 in its first game of the 2024-25 campaign.

Playing in the Mike Daley Memorial Tournament at Nazareth College, the Engineers battled through a tight second half that culminated with the two squads tied at 46-46 with 3 minutes remaining.

RPI earned the win by holding Cortland to 1-of-4 shooting in the closing minutes, with all attempts coming from behind the arc. The Engineers also forced two turnovers in the Red Dragon's final six possessions.

Dylan Matchett posted a team-leading 12 points in the victory. Chuck Clemons logged 10 points and Avery Eugster added seven points and seven rebounds.

Andrew Deppe matched Eugster with seven points, while PJ Scalisi, Yechiel Stewart, and Nate Tawiah-Boateng provided five points each.

Looking ahead, the Engineers will meet host Nazareth in the tournament's championship tomorrow at 3:00 pm.