The men’s basketball team also traveled to the North Country for a pair of games against Clarkson University and St. Lawrence University. On Friday night, the team lost to St. Lawrence 77-51, and then on Saturday afternoon they played Clarkson close in a 66-61 loss. The pair of losses dropped the team to 6-10 overall, and 1-4 in the league as it now rides a four-game losing streak.
In the first half of Friday’s game, RPI was only down by three before the home-standing Saints ran away with the game. Early in the second half, the Saints pulled ahead by 17 points in a lead they never lost. Heading the league, SLU improved to a league-best 9-6 overall, 4-0 in the conference with the win.
Senior Sam Simmons led RPI with 21 points and eight rebounds. Classmate Henrik Schou also had 11 points and as many rebounds.
The next afternoon, the men traveled to just south of the Canadian border for a game in Potsdam, N.Y. The Golden Knights’ victory improved them to 6-10 overall, 4-1 and second place in the league.
Despite running up an 11-3 lead just three minutes into the game, and pushing it to a 23-12 lead during the middle of the first half, RPI was unable to hold its ground defensively and headed into the locker room tied 29-29 at the half. The Red Hawks were helped out by Schou’s early baskets, and Simmons’ 14 first half points. The teams stayed close throughout the second period as Clarkson took an eight-point lead only to have RPI tie it back up at 51-51. In the end, free throws and rebounds let the Golden Knights sneak away with the victory.
The League named Simmons the men’s Forward of the Week for his two performances this past weekend.
The Engineers await next weekend when they’ll try to avenge the losses as they host the Skidmore College Thoroughbreds on Friday and the Union College Dutchmen on Saturday.
