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CARLISLE, PA -- The RIT women's basketball team opened the 2011-12 season with an impressive 82-67 win over Dickinson College in the opening round of the Dickinson Days Inn Tip-Off Tournament on Saturday evening. The Tigers used a strong second half run to break open a close game. Junior #Leslie Havens (Wayland, NY/Wayland-Cohocton)# led RIT with 23 points, while sophomores #Courtney Tennant (Cortland, NY/Cortland) and Kayla Wheeler (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa)# added 20 points and 15 points respectively.

Leading by two at the half, the Tigers outscored Dickinson 41-28 in the second half, opening the half with 13-0 run, taking a 54-39 lead on a pair of Havens free throws. A pair of Tennant free throws extended the Tigers lead to 18 points with a little less than six minutes to play. Tennant scored 13 of her 20 points in the second half and had six of her team-high eight rebounds in the half.

For the game, Tennant shot 6-of-9 from the floor and was 8-of-11 from the foul line. The sophomore center grabbed a team-high eight rebounds.

Havens shot 8-of-17 from the floor for RIT and made 6-of-11 from the free throw line. The junior added seven rebounds, three assists and had three steals in 38 minutes of action.

Wheeler scored 11 of her 15 points in the second half, shooting 5-for-8 from the floor and was 5-for-6 from the line. She grabbed five rebounds and had three steals.

RIT shot 45.8 percent from the floor and was 3-for-8 from three point land. The Tigers made 25-of-36 free throws, out rebounded Dickinson 37-36 and had 10 steals. The Tigers got 21 points from the bench, scored nine points off turnovers and six second-chance points.

RIT will face SUNY Cortland in the championship game on Sunday at 4 pm. The Tigers are 1-2 all-time versus the Red Dragons the lone win coming in the 2002-03 season.