RPI kicked off its week on January 15 with a weeknight game against the Vassar Brewers. Stalwart defense held the Brewers to only 19 shots in the first half, and consistent shooting from the floor by the Red Hawks enabled them to open up a nine-point lead at halftime.

Vassar sank 14 buckets in the second half to mount a rally, and poor free-throw shooting by the Red Hawks let the Brewers back in the game. However, RPI continued to shoot well from the field, and held on for a 70-67 victory.

Rensselaer was led by Dean Pierce, who scored 16 points and pulled down 12 rebounds, and Jared Hite, who had 13 points and 13 boards.

The Golden Knights of Clarkson were the Red Hawks’ next opponents, and both teams played a very physical match, with 59 free throws taken in the game. After battling for 20 minutes, the Red Hawks headed to the locker room with a slim four-point lead.

RPI broke the game wide open in the second half, exploding for 51 points on 15-for-25 shooting. Kevin Moore led all scorers with 28 points, Darryl Gentry contributed 17, and Hite added 16 points and 17 rebounds as the Red Hawks cruised to a 95-78 win.

Saturday’s match against St. Lawrence was, on paper, the easiest of the lot—the Brewers were 7-4 coming into the Armory, and the Golden Knights were 10-2, while the Saints had an 8-6 record. However, the Saints played a very tough game, and they trailed at the half only because of a poor performance at the foul line (41.7 percent for the half).

St. Lawrence kept the pressure on after halftime, erasing the RPI lead. The game remained close right up to the end, with Gentry providing a last-second lay-up to put Rensselaer on top, 65-63.

Hite was again the offensive catalyst for the Red Hawks, picking up 12 points and 10 rebounds, both team highs, and claiming UCAA Forward/Center of the Week honors. Freshman Paris Moore added 10 points for the third game in the row; he was named the UCAA Rookie of the Week.