TROY, NY – The RIT (6-4, 1-1 Liberty League) men's basketball team snapped a four-game losing streak with an 87-76 win over Rensselaer (3-8, 0-2 Liberty League) on Saturday afternoon. Sophomore Joe Stortini (Red Hook, NY/Loomis Chaffee) was one of five players to score in double figure for the Tigers, tallying a career-high 23 points. The 87 points scored by RIT was its highest point total of the season.

RIT shot 50.9 percent from the floor on 29-of-57 shooting. The Tigers made 14-of-27 from behind the arc, and went 15-of-20 from the foul line. Stortini led RIT with 23 points on 8-of-16 shooting, including three 3-pointers. Freshman AJ Horde (Oak Park, MI/University of Detroit Jesuit) scored 18 points, while Kamron Davis (Syracuse, NY/Nottingham) added 11 points and 11 rebounds. JP Reagan (Cortland, NY/Cortland) and Jesse Warech (Pinebrook, NJ/Montville Township) each scored 10.

After a Tyler Gendron three gave RPI an early 4-3 lead, the Tigers roared off four straight points, taking a 9-4 lead on a three from Horde off an assist from Sheldon Clay (Detroit, MI/University of Detroit Jesuit). The Engineers would climb back to within two points, but the Tigers responded with a 13-3 run, taking a 22-10 lead on a 3-pointer from Jay Rosser (Newark, NY/Newark) at the 11:34 mark of the first half.

Rensselaer responded with a run of its own as Chase Almond capped off a 12-2 run with a layup with 7:16 to play in the half, pulling the Engineers to within 24-22. The Tigers never relinquished the lead, taking a 44-35 lead into the break. RIT shot 55.2 percent from the floor in the opening half on 16-of-29 shooting. Stortini scored 18 of his 23 points in the first half to lead RIT. Horde added nine points and four rebounds.

The Tigers maintained a single-digit lead through the first six minutes of the second half until Clay converted a free throw with 14:04 to play giving RIT a 56-46 lead. Rensselaer would not go away, pulling to within four points on a jumper by Craig Fitzgerald with 12:02 to play.

RIT responded with a quick 5-0 burst. Warech splashed a three on RIT's next possession extending the Tiger's lead to 59-52. Davis' jumper with 10:36 to play made it a nine point lead for RIT. After Josh Douglas converted 1-of-2 free throws for RPI, Warech drained his second straight 3-pointer extending the Tigers lead to 64-53 with a little less than 10 minutes to play.

With 51 seconds to play, Nate Kane scored for Rensselaer pulling the Engineers to within seven points at 83-76. But the Tigers would hit their free throws for the 11-point win.

RIT held a slight 38-37 rebounding advantage. Both teams took care of the ball as RIT turned the ball over 10 times to eight for the Engineers. The Tigers scored 10 points off of RPI turnovers and tallied 26 points in the paint.

RIT is now 35-26 all time versus Rensselaer. RIT returns to action on Friday, Jan. 9 when the Tigers host St. Lawrence University at 8 p.m. on the floor of Clark Gym.