The Red Hawks looked sharp early, and the key was their attacking style of play on both ends of the court. A full-court press made Clarkson work hard just to get the ball up the court. Defensive tips and deflections constantly kept the pressure on Clarkson, translating into frustration, turnovers, and most importantly, offense.

Running every chance they got and driving to the basket rather than settling for jumpers, RPI took a 12-2 advantage into the first timeout and did not let up.

With junior Kristi Baranowski in early foul trouble and freshman Whitney Coleman slightly struggling, the remaining players picked up their teammates. Led by sophomore Tory Lyons, who was the leading scorer with 10 points in the first, the Red Hawks took a 33-16 lead into the half.

When play resumed, RPI once again got off to a fast start. This time Coleman provided a spark with her energy, immediately nailing her first two shots. She would end up with 13 points on 5-10 shooting from the field.

Lyons would tally 13 as well, and freshman Elizabeth Barker owned the glass with 11 rebounds. As a result of the strong overall team play, the Red Hawks went up by 23 points in the second half, and retained the momentum for the remainder of the contest.

RPI’s attacking style of play kept Clarkson from feeling comfortable in anything they did. The Red Hawks’ constant pressure, which led to Rensselaer’s success both offensively and defensively, allowed them to walk away with a 62-40 victory.

Back on the hardwood the very next day for an early afternoon game, the girls took on the Saints of St. Lawrence for another Liberty League match-up.

The Red Hawks again came with a little full-court pressure to try and tighten the clamps on their opponent, but St. Lawrence looked very strong early. The Saints were shooting the ball extremely well—53.6 percent—from the perimeter in addition to strong post play; it was clear they had come to play. Their inside-out style was a nice touch, and with both styles working, there was little Rensselaer could do to stop them.

RPI battled hard though, and early on the play was even. However, St. Lawrence finished the half on a 12-2 run and took a 36-26 lead into intermission.

The second half didn’t get much better for the Red Hawks. On many occasions they found themselves being out-rebounded leading to second chance points and making it hard for RPI to gain any ground. Every time they made an attempt to claw their way back into the game, St. Lawrence had an answer and prevented any chances of a comeback.

Coleman provided a lift and kept the team close for a good portion of the game. Back to back old-fashioned three-point plays captivated the audience and gave a sense that maybe they could gain some momentum. Ultimately, her efforts were futile. The Saints won 60-51, and improved to 10-5, 4-0 in Liberty League play.

St. Lawrence was led by the tandem of Jaime Wolff, who scored a game-high 20 points, and Andrea Muszynski who tallied 13 points and 13 rebounds.

Rensselaer’s high scorer was Coleman, who recorded team highs with 20 points and seven boards. Caitlin Charest chipped in with eight points, six rebounds, and four assists.