RPI looked strong right from the tip against Hamilton, and even grabbed the early lead after senior Neal Wesson knocked down a pair of three pointers.

But the visiting Continentals stormed back, and while the first half of play was full of various lead changes, neither team was able to pull away. The Red Hawks’ largest lead was seven, which was the advantage they held at the 1:35 mark; headed into the half, however, the score was once again tied up at 31.

The second half was close as well, but in the latter stages of the contest, Hamilton was ultimately able to take control. Using a 14-0 run with just over five minutes remaining in the game, the Continentals turned the tables, erasing a 50-46 Rensselaer lead and going up by 10 with 1:02 left in regulation. Freshman Jay Simpson was the catalyst for Hamilton scoring seven of his 14 points, a team high, over that timespan.

While RPI was able to fight back to within six, thanks to a basket at the buzzer by junior Sam Simmons, that was close as they would get. Free throws down the stretch were ultimately what sealed the deal for the visiting Continentals, who won 64-58.

Wesson led the way for the Red Hawks with a game-high of 28 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Simmons was not far behind with 12 and seven of his own. Simpson was the high man for Hamilton with his 14 points.

When Rensselaer hit the court on Saturday versus Hobart College, Wesson was at it again, leading all scorers with 20 points. This time his effort was enough for the victory.

In the first half, the Statesmen held small leads on various occasions despite shooting just 28.6 percent from the floor. However, the Red Hawks were always right there to claw back and even the game back up. With 4:43 remaining in the half, RPI was able to build a solid lead and hold off the Hobart offense, which allowed them to go up by seven points headed into the break, 26-19.

Early second half action was comprised of both teams trading baskets. Rensselaer was able to increase what turned out to be a sizeable margin. At the 4:26 mark, the Red Hawks found themselves up 11 points, but as is true all too often in college basketball, the Statesmen would not go down without a fight.

Hobart battled back to within three points, 57-54, with 2:31 remaining on the game clock. RPI then proceeded to go 7-8 from the free throw line and nail down the win, 64-58.

Wesson tallied four rebounds in conjunction to his 20 points. Simmons was one rebound shy of a double-double, scoring 12 and grabbing nine boards. Senior Clay Hadley also provided a lift with 10 points. Junior John Grazioli performed well for Hobart with 13 and eight, both team highs.

After the weekend, Rensselaer’s record now stands at 10-8. RPI has seven games remaining on its regular season schedule, and controls its own fate as the season begins to wind down toward the playoffs.