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TROY, N.Y. -- The RIT women's basketball team (5-5, 1-0) needed a come-from-behind effort to take down RPI (6-4, 0-1) 71-66 in their first Liberty League matchup of the season.  #Leslie Havens (Wayland, NY/Wayland-Cohocton)# led the Tigers with 18 points to go with five rebounds.

RIT jumped out to a quick 8-0 start behind five points from Havens.  The lead changed hands several times in the first half, with the Engineers taking a 39-34 lead into the half.

The second half was a back-and-forth contest that saw six ties and seven lead changes.  The Engineers led by one with 54 seconds to play, but it proved to be their final lead of the game, as #Courtney Tennant (Cortland, NY/Cortland)# hit a layup to give the Tigers a 67-66 advantage.  RIT would seal the victory with free throws by #Jackie Hom (Newton, MA/Newton South) and Jess Kramer (Fayetteville, NY/Jamesville-Dewitt)#.

Hom finished with nine points and five assists, while Kramer finished with nine points and four rebounds.   #Kayla Wheeler (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa)# was stellar for the Tigers, picking up her third double-double of the season, with 15 points and 10 boards.

RIT shot 23-for-56 (41.1 percent) from the field, while RPI was 24-for-70 (34.3 percent).  The Tigers were 21-for-31 (67.7 percent) from the free-throw line while the Engineers were 11-for-29 (37.9 percent).  RIT outrebounded RPI 48-42.

The Tigers are back in action on Saturday, January 7th when they play Skidmore in their second Liberty League contest of the season.  Tip-off is set for 2 p.m.