ROCHESTER, NY -- The RIT (13-10, 9-5 Liberty League) women's basketball team clinched a spot in the Liberty League Tournament with a 62-50 win over Clarkson University (8-13, 3-10 Liberty League) on Senior Day at Clark Gym Saturday. The Tigers sweep the season series with the Golden Knights, qualifying for the Tournament for the first time since joining the conference in 2011.

Ashlynn Palmitesso (Fulton, NY/G. Ray Bodley) led RIT with 17 points and 15 rebounds. Courtney Tennant (Cortland, NY/Cortland) and Jess Kramer (Fayetteville, NY/Jamesville-Dewitt) each had 13 points, while Kayla Wheeler (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa) scored 12 points and had nine rebounds.

Ashley Loggins led Clarkson with 17 points, while Cara Manfredi added 12 points and four assists for the Golden Knights who shot 27.9 percent from the floor.

RIT fell behind by six points early in the first half when Clarkson's Alyssia Marsal scored on a layup off an assist from Loggins, giving Clarkson an 8-2 lead.

A three pointer by Palmitesso with 12:06 to play in the opening half tied the score at 9-9. She finished with five first-half points for RIT.

Clarkson extended their lead back to five points on a free throw from Loggins with 5:50 to play in the first half.

Trailing by three with 4:39 to play in the half, RIT closed out the half on an 8-0 run, taking a 25-20 halftime lead on a free throw by Kramer. She led RIT with nine first-half points.

RIT built an 11-point lead early in the second half on a layup and free throw from Sarah Wolcott (Cohocton, NY/Wayland-Cohocton), giving the Tigers a 38-27 with 13:44 to play.

The Tigers extended the lead to 20 points on a layup by Wheeler with 8:15 to play. She scored nine of her 12 points in the second half.

Clarkson answered with an 11-0 run, cutting the Tigers lead to 51-42 with 6:38 to play in the second half on a three pointer by Manfredi.

After RIT built the lead back to 11 points, Brooke Butkovsky cut the Tigers lead to eight points on a layup and free throw with 2:23 to play.

That would be as close as Clarkson would get as the Tigers held on for the 12-point win.

RIT returns to action on Friday, February 21 looking to build some momentum heading into the conference tournament, when they face Rensselaer at 6 p.m. in Troy, N.Y.