Two shots, with 3.9 seconds left in regulation, broke Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Union College’s tie at 65, letting the Engineers beat the Dutchmen 67-65. It also increased Rensselaer’s winning streak to six games and overall record to 15-9, depsite shooting 34 percent.
Down for much of the first half, RPI pulled ahead and kept the lead until 1:07 remaining, when Union senior Keven Donohue tied it back up with a three-pointer. Senior Jamie Zajac received the ball in the final seconds of the game, stalling until eight seconds remaining then being fouled on the wrist on a layup attempt. After a Union timeout, Zajac made both of his free throws, quickly followed by timeouts from both teams. Union got the ball across halfcourt but was unsuccessful in making a shot before the buzzer sounded.
Zajac ended the game with a team high 18 points, while freshman Tyler Gendron made 12 for the Engineers. They have 295 and 217 points for the season, respectively. RPI led in rebounds for the night, 42-36.
Union’s team was led in points by Donohue, who scored 29, making his 10th time this season scoring 20 or more points in a game. He holds Union’s fifth-highest record, having made 1,458 points for the Dutchmen.
Rensselaer faces Union again on Wednesday at 7 pm in the semifinal round of the Liberty League Tournament. The game is home for Union in Schenectady.