In a set against regional rivals Union and Skidmore Colleges, the men’s basketball team won both its road games in dominating fashion. The women, however, were not as lucky in their road-trip endeavors and dropped both of their close games.
The men got the weekend going with their 80-44 blowout over the Skidmore Thoroughbreds on Friday night, and followed up with a 69-50 win over the Union Dutchmen. The two victories improved the Red Hawks’ record to 8-10 overall and 3-4 in the Liberty League.
On Monday, senior forward Sam Simmons was named the Liberty League’s Forward of the Week for the fourth time this season. Simmons averaged 13 points and 4.5 rebounds last week.
Friday night’s game was a team effort for the homestanding Red Hawks as 14 different players scored, led by Simmons with 12 points. Shooting for a 65.2 percent efficiency in the first half, RPI quickly built up an impressive 18-2 lead. Senior Kris Kowalczyk made a triple set of three pointers in the first half to lead all scorers with nine points. The Red Hawk defense was on its game as well, holding Skidmore to just 27.6 percent from the field. The second held more of the same with the Thoroughbreds helplessly trailing by no less than 28 at any point.
The next afternoon, the men were held close by Union’s defense as neither team could break away. At the half, RPI led by just two, 31-29 after a three-point shot by Kowalczyk beat the buzzer.
The Red Hawks opened the second half with a thunderous 17-4 run and never looked back.
The men return to action this Friday and Saturday, heading to take on the Hamilton College Continentals and Hobart College Statesmen.
Despite riding a three-game winning streak, the women didn’t fare as well. Opening the weekend with a disappointing 50-44 loss to Skidmore, followed by another frustrating 59-55 loss to Union on Saturday. The two losses dropped the Red Hawks to 8-9 overall, and 3-4 in the league.
On Friday, the women held strong defensively, holding Skidmore to just 26.7 percent in the first half. By the break, the home-standing Red Hawks led by eight (28-20). By the 10:56 mark, the Thoroughbreds broke through and took a lead of their own; they relinquished that lead just once with 6:52 remaining before regaining and holding it to the buzzer.
The Red Hawks were led in their effort by junior forward Elizabeth Barker who shot a game-high 16 points and had 15 rebounds. Senior Missy Jackman had 12 points and four rebounds while junior Caitlyn Charest had a game-best six assists.
The next afternoon, RPI again
ran up an early lead (19-4) with 12:38 remaining. The lead slowly slid away however as the Dutchwomen’s offense took control. By the end of the first stanza, the Red Hawks led 27-25.
Union took a seven-point lead in the half before RPI tied things up with just four minutes to play in the game, but it wasn’t enough as the visiting Dutchwomen regained and held the lead to the end.
Junior forward Elizabeth Barker led the Red Hawks with a double-double, shooting 15 points and catching 14 rebounds. Jackson also had 15 points, and classmate Troy Lyons finished with 11.
Union was led by junior Michelle Rogers who had 15 points and 10 rebounds, followed by senior Devon Ciliberto with 11 points.
The women head to Hamilton College in Clinton, N.Y., and Williams Smith College in Geneva, N.Y., for a pair of games this Friday at 6 pm and Saturday at 2 pm.
