Tough defense in the first half of Friday’s game held Hamilton to just 20 points, and the Red Hawks rode their 21-point halftime lead to a 76-62 victory. On offense, the big story was Point Guard Holly Neiweem, who led all scorers with 23 points on 8-of-13 shooting, including five three-pointers.

The game was especially important, according to Head Coach John Greene, because the team was coming off of a tough overtime loss at WPI in which the Red Hawks had an opportunity to win with 0.5 seconds remaining in regulation, but the shot clanged off the rim. The Hamilton victory restored the team’s morale, said Greene.

Strong morale was certainly necessary for Saturday’s 66-64 win over the Herons. The teams played a fairly even first half, but William Smith built up a 10-point lead after the break. Then the Rensselaer defense turned up the heat, keeping the Herons off the board during a 12-0 run to retake the lead. William Smith had several chances down the stretch, but the solid play of the Red Hawks kept them just ahead at the buzzer.

Greene hailed the win as “a total team effort,” noting that RPI’s bench outscored William Smith’s 22-4. He also was pleased with the team’s free throw shooting (77 percent for the weekend), which has troubled them in earlier games.

RPI faces another pair of tough foes in Clarkson and St. Lawrence this weekend, but Greene said that he doesn’t expect a letdown in the games ahead. “They are primed up after this weekend, if anything.”

All eight UCAA teams had winning records going into conference play, and the battle for the title—and the automatic berth in the NCAA tournament that goes with it—will likely be fiercer than ever this season.