SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) women's basketball team buried a season-best 13 three-pointers and closed with timely shot-making to defeat Skidmore, 68–61, tonight at the Sports & Recreation Center.
Brooke Boyle led the offense with 19 points on 5-for-6 from three-point range and seven rebounds,
Siena Smith added 16 points (3-for-5 3PT) with six boards, and
Niamh Gendron posted 13 points and eight boards as the Engineers improved to 13–5 overall and 8–3 in the Liberty League.
RPI's perimeter rhythm showed up immediately. Boyle splashed threes on the opening possession and again three minutes later, then drilled another at halfway through the first to answer a Skidmore burst. Gendron's tip-in in the final 30 seconds and two free throws from
Tyler Hormazabal at the horn nudged the Engineers in front 18–17 after one.
The second quarter opened with
Danielle Strauf canning a three off an
Emilia Rojik feed, Rojik hitting a short jumper, and Gendron raining in another triple. Boyle also added a fast-break three and a transition layup before Smith hit two free throws with two seconds left to pull within 34–35 at the break.
The game tilted out of halftime behind RPI's veterans. Smith splashed a pair of threes in the first three minutes of the half. Hormazabal jumped a pass for a runout layup and later drilled a top-of-the-arc three, and Gendron drilled a three with less than a minute left to send the Engineers to the fourth ahead 52–48.
Early in the final period, Boyle stole a pass and converted in transition, then buried her fifth three halfway thru the frame to restore a two-possession cushion. Smith answered the next push with a dagger three,
Sophie Costello knocked down a key pull-up jumper to keep the distance from Throughbreds in the back half of the fourth.
Hormazabal filled columns with 7 points, 5 steals and 4 assists. Costello contributed 5 points, 4 assists and 3 steals, and Strauf chipped in 5 points and three assists off the bench.
RPI shot 52.0% from three (13–of-25) and forced 23 turnovers to claim its fifth win in the last six games.
The Engineers look ahead to a 2:00 pm matchup at league-leading Union tomorrow.
