CASTLETON, Vt. – The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) men's basketball team opened its season with a composed road win, pulling away after halftime to defeat VTSU Castleton 72–60 at Glenbrook Gymnasium tonight.

Andrew Deppe finished with a game-high 19 points on 9-of-12 shooting to go with a block and two steals, and three assists. The Engineers controlled the glass 31–25 and outscored the Spartans 36–22 in the paint in the victory.

After an early Castleton three, RPI settled in behind Deppe's quick post touches and a pair of perimeter makes from Pat White and PJ Scalisi to edge in front. The Spartans briefly leveled through Ben Seiler, but the Engineers closed the half with poise, as White knocked down a timely triple and finished twice in traffic, and Stewart beat the horn with a put-back for a 34–30 lead.

Out of the break, Dylan Matchett's wing three set the tone before Deppe and White stacked second-chance points to create the first double-digit margin. Castleton trimmed it once, but Driscoll's back-cut layup, a Stewart three-point play, and another deep make from Stewart restored control. Deppe's and-one at 6:08 and a transition finish from Scalisi kept the cushion intact, and Noah Daniel's late free throws sealed the 72–60 road win.

White registered 17 points on an efficient 6-for-8 from the floor (2-for-4 from three), and Stewart provided 16 points and six rebounds as RPI's depth carried the night, 23 bench points and a commanding 30 second-chance points. Scalisi chipped in seven points, five rebounds, and two steals, and Matchett contributed six points, six boards, and four assists while quarterbacking the decisive second-half surge.

The Engineers will look ahead to a Monday afternoon road trip to SUNY Delhi, with tip off set for 5:00 pm.