One game is all the Rensselaer men’s basketball team needed to qualify for the Liberty League Tournament, and now it appears that was all the Red Hawks needed to avoid getting snubbed by the ECAC selection committee for the eighth and final post season bid. RPI, who finished the season 14-11 and 7-7 in the Liberty League, lost the tournament’s final bid to 13-13 Ithaca of the Empire Conference.
Ithaca was 13-10 in the eyes of the committee because losses to Division I Cornell and two other non-Division III schools were not considered. Ithaca also had the advantage of playing the country’s number one team, St. John Fisher, in conference play. The Liberty League is considered stronger from top to bottom, but the Cardinals’ presence certainly aided the Bombers’ resume.
RPI made a solid case, boasting season sweeps over both the Liberty League regular season champion Hobart and Liberty League Tournament winner Union. However, two losses to St. Lawrence and the loss to Clarkson appeared to once again haunt the Red Hawks.
“We only need one more win,” Rensselaer Head Coach Mike Griffin said. “We had 25 chances to do better. We were too inconsistent this season, and I hope next year’s squad takes note of this, that every game does count.”
The missed selection officially ends the Red Hawks season and the college careers of Liberty League First Team selection Paris Moore, Liberty League Honorable Mention John Van Schaick, and senior point guard Kori Massey.
