The Red Hawks split a pair of conference games against Capital District rivals this weekend, losing at Union in overtime on Friday but defeating Skidmore on Saturday afternoon.

The loss to the Dutchmen was an especially painful one for the Red Hawks, who were leading in the trailing seconds of regulation until Union’s Aaron Galletta hit a three with 12 seconds remaining, sending the game to overtime.

Rensselaer fell apart in the extra period, sending Union to the foul line eight times and hitting only two of eight shots from the field. The Dutchmen added one field goal to 10 free throws and coasted to an 83-76 victory.

The teams played very evenly throughout regulation, with Union ahead by a single point at halftime. The Dutchmen took 12 more shots than the Red Hawks in the second half, but RPI made up for it by shooting a stellar 73.7 percent from the field.

Galletta led all scorers with 38 points; he was backed by a 17-point effort from Jason Manning and 15 points from C.J. Rogers. The Red Hawks were again led by sophomore Jared Hite with 20 points. John Van Schaick contributed 19 and Dean Pierce added 12 to the effort.

After the tough loss, RPI travelled to Saratoga the next day to take on the last-place Thoroughbreds. The Red Hawks experienced something of a letdown offensively, shooting only 36 percent from the floor. Rensselaer’s defense was sufficient to the task, though, especially given Skidmore’s general ineptitude. The Thoroughbreds managed a mark of only 30 percent from the field, including an abysmal 6-for-26 second half, and the Red Hawks secured a 63-47 victory.

Freshman Paris Moore had a game-high 14 points and was named UCAA Rookie of the Week for the second time in a row and third this season. Pierce and Greg Harrison each scored 11, and Hite added six points and 19 rebounds.

The weekend split, coupled with a pair of Clarkson losses, leaves the Red Hawks tied with the Dutchmen for first place in the UCAA with a 5-2 conference record. Skidmore is now 0-7 in the UCAA.

The team will travel to the North Country this weekend for key games against Clarkson and St. Lawrence.