The fast-paced RPI basketball season has sprung to life during these past few weeks, paving the way for an exciting and successful year. The men’s basketball team opened its season on November 19 against Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh, N.Y., where it put forth a solid effort.
After a weak first half, the Blue Knights held a 34-19 lead over the Red Hawks. Returning in the second half, the Red Hawks were determined to make up for the 15-point deficit. They went on an 18-2 run to take a 37-36 lead with 15:02 left in the game. The score remained tight for the next 10 minutes as each team tried to gain a lead. RPI took off on a 16-6 run, bringing the score to 63-55 with almost five minutes left.
Mount Saint Mary, however, would not let the game end that easily and was able to bring the score to a 69-69 tie with a little more than one minute left. During the final minute, the Red Hawks were able to pull ahead to triumph over the Blue Knights, 77-70. Senior Sam Simmons finished with game highs of 22 points and nine rebounds, while junior Tim Rupp scored a total of 16 points. Seven other players scored for the Red Hawks, who saw 13 student-athletes play in the game.
On November 22, the Red Hawks traveled to Wisconsin to participate in the All-Engineers Classic. In the first match, RPI battled the Milwaukee School of Engineering Raiders for a spot in the finals. The Red Hawks opened with a layup by senior Kyle Jung and did not trail until the Raiders scored a free-throw with one minute left in the first half. Going into the second half, the Raiders were up one point, 22-21, but the Red Hawks looked to regain their lead. They were able to tie the game with 9:33 remaining, but were never able to gain the solid lead they were hoping for. The Raiders closed the game ahead 48-45 and advanced to the finals, where they went up against the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Engineers.
The next day, RPI faced the Rose-Hulman Engineers. The first half was filled with baskets from both teams, concluding with the Engineers holding a three-point advantage as they entered the second half, 33-30. RPI was able to gain a brief lead when Rupp made a layup with 11:29 left in play to bring the score to 45-44. That lead was not enough, however, as Rose-Hulman was able to walk away from the game with a win of 67-63. Sophomore Mike Brion led the team with a total of 10 points, followed by Rupp and junior Ricky Philatre with eight points each. Rupp claimed a total of nine rebounds and two assists, while Philatre added six boards, two blocks, and a steal in RPI’s quest for victory. Simmons recorded seven points with a game high of 12 rebounds.
On Sunday, the Red Hawks faced the Paul Smith College Bobcats in what proved to be a close game. Both teams were off to a slow start, with RPI only shooting 36.1 percent and Paul Smith shooting 36.7 percent in the first half. The Red Hawks were in the lead as they entered the second half with a score of 31-25. Both teams stepped up their game for the second half, yet the Bobcats were unable to overcome their deficit. The game finished with the Red Hawks victory, 83-66. Every player on the Red Hawks’ roster saw action, with all but two of the 15 players scoring points. Simmons tallied 24 points, leading the team to victory, while sophomore guard Travis Jones scored 10 points and had a game-high of four steals.
Yesterday, the Red Hawks were off to Vermont to face the College of St. Joseph. Scores were not available at time of publication; however, the Red Hawks looked to improve their 2-2 overall record.
After the string of games played on their opponent’s courts, the Red Hawks will host Southern Vermont College on December 4, followed by Wentworth Institute of Technology on December 6.
