The RPI men’s basketball team returned to action and hit the hardwood in its fourth game of the season at home versus Middlebury College. The Red Hawks entered the game with a record of 1-2 after placing third in the season-opening Tip-Off Tournament, and then suffered a loss to Williams College.
The start of the game saw the score remain close as both teams battled to gain an edge, but as each squad proceeded to shoot under 35 percent from the floor in the frame, stringing together consecutive baskets was difficult. Ultimately, though, it was a combination of poor shooting and good defense. Middlebury shot just 25.8 percent and was 0-10 from three-point territory.
It took six different lead changes and almost 10 minutes of play before Rensselaer was able to inflate a lead which increased to as much as 12 at one point. However, the Panthers slowly chipped it away as the first half came to a close, and at the break RPI was ahead by just five, 23-18. Senior Sam Simmons paced the Red Hawks in the first, scoring 11 points and grabbing five rebounds. Junior Aaron Smith and freshman Andrew Locke were the catalysts for the Panthers, each scoring four points in a balanced offensive attack.
Middlebury came out of the locker room firing on all cylinders. Using a 19-2 run fueled by five three-pointers over the first five minutes of play, the Panthers opened up a 12-point lead on Rensselaer, completely turning the tables.
RPI would use a few different runs to cut into its deficit, but Middlebury would not relinquish the lead for the remainder of the game. The Red Hawks made it just a three-point game at the 7:24 mark when sophomore Ricky Philatre went 1-2 from the free throw line. Rensselaer remained close over the next two minutes but eventually saw the lead balloon back up to 10 on two different occasions. At the end of regulation, RPI fell 63-54 for its third loss of the season.
Although it was a valiant effort to climb back into the contest, the task to climb out of such a large hole was too daunting. Battling back from a double digit deficit obviously took a lot of energy out of the Red Hawks, who continued to play short-handed.
Rensselaer shot 33 percent from the floor and was just 3-13 from behind the arc. While Middlebury’s shooting was not drastically better—39 percent—the Panthers were able to knock down seven three-pointers en route to their fourth victory of the season (4-1).
Simmons recorded a double-double and was the game’s high-scorer with 20 points and 15 rebounds. Philatre chipped in with a modest nine points and nine boards. Senior Mike Walsh had 11 and six for Middlebury while classmate Adam Harris was the team’s leading scorer with 18 points.
RPI will return to the court on Saturday when it takes on Wentworth College at 3 pm, which is the second stop of a five-game road trip. From there the men will take place in the Land of Magic Classic, a tournament held in Daytona Beach, Fla. on December 28 and 29. Head Coach Mike Griffin and company will then kick off the new year in the Trinity Tournament held in Hartford, Conn. on January 5 and 6.
