AFTER A ROUGH START TO THEIR SEASON, RENSSELAER BOUNCED BACK with two consecutive victories. (file photo)The Rensselaer men’s basketball team struggled for much of their winter break slate of games, losing four in a row and five out of six during one stretch. However they won two games last weekend, improving their record to 9-7 with a month left in the regular season. The first of these victories was a home victory over St. Lawrence, 72-61 last Friday. On Saturday, they traveled to Saratoga to take on Capital Region rival Skidmore College and finished on top by a final count of 68-60.
In the first game, freshman guard Tom Horvat led all participants with 15 points and five assists to set the tone for the Engineers. In addition, senior forward Tyler Gendron added 14 points while junior guard Jonathan Luster and freshman center Marcus Giese each had 10.
For the Saints, guards Willie Zachary and Kyle Kobis each had 14 points while forward Riley Naclerio had seven points and nine rebounds. The difference in the game was efficiency. RPI shot 54 percent from the field while St. Lawrence struggled, converting just 37 percent of their field goal attempts.
In the first half, the Saints built a seven-point lead midway through the first half when forward Ben Crawford pulled down a rebound on the offensive glass and made the ensuing layup and free throw after he was fouled on the put back.
The Engineers answered by going on a 10-0 run in under three minutes to take a three point lead. Leading the charge was senior forward Chase Almond who scored four points during the run, including a tip-in that gave RPI a 23-20 edge, and grabbed a steal that resulted in an easy basket for sophomore guard Asa Barnhill.
The game remained tight as the first half drew to a close. After Kobis drilled a three to give St. Lawrence the lead, Horvat cut to the basket and scored on the very next possession to take the lead right back for RPI. After twenty minutes, the Engineers held a five-point lead.
Early in the second half, two more baskets by Barnhill gave Rensselaer a seven-point lead with 15 minutes remaining. The lead didn’t last, though, as St. Lawrence scored eight unanswered points to go up 48-46. Once again, RPI responded as Horvat and Luster drilled threes to give the home team some energy.
St. Lawrence answered, and the two teams traded baskets until the scoreboard read 61 for both sides with 2:06 left in the second half. Luster then drilled another three that catapulted the Engineers to run away with the game in the final seconds. In all, RPI scored 13 consecutive points to finish a game that was closer than its final score indicated.
In the second game, Rensselaer earned its third conference victory of the year, outscoring the Thoroughbreds by four points in each half. Skidmore forward Erik Sanders poured in 20, and guard Edvinas Rupkus added 15 to pace the Thoroughbreds, while the Engineers’ more balanced scoring attack was led by Gendron, who scored 13, and junior guard Nate Kane, who made three of four three point attempts and finished with 11 points.
In the first half, Skidmore took a 21-15 lead after forward Charlie Williams hit a three from the top of the key. However, effective long-range shooting allowed RPI to close the half on a 12-2 run and take a 27-23 edge into the locker room.
The crucial point in the game came early in the second half when 3-pointers by Horvat, Barnhill, and Gendron, as well as a three-point play by Luster, gave the Engineers a 13-point lead. Skidmore never threatened following that sequence, and RPI earned a 68-60 win.
Next up this weekend, the Engineers will be playing at Rochester Institute of Technology on Friday and Hobart on Saturday.