NORTHAMPTON, MA – The RIT women's basketball team (1-0) opened the 2015-16 season in a big way, cruising to a 75-50 victory over the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (0-1) at the Tyler Tip-Off Tournament, hosted by Smith College on Saturday.

The Trailblazers had few answers for the one-two punch of Jessica Glaz (Rockaway Beach, NY/Scholars Academy) and Tara Lynch (Green Township, NJ/Newton). A Liberty League All-Rookie first team selection last season, Glaz picked up right where she left off last year, tallying 21 points on 7-for-11 shooting, with two assists and two rebounds. Lynch, playing in her first collegiate game, also scored 20 points on 10-for-13 shooting, bringing down eight rebounds.

Julia Bender (Webster, NY/Webster Thomas) nearly had a double-double, finishing with 13 points and nine rebounds. Maria Edwards (Forrest Hill, MD/The Carroll School) led the Tiger offense, leading the team with five assists, adding four rebounds. The Tigers shot a scorching 56.9 percent as a team, including 4-for-9 from downtown.

Brayleigh Hanlon led the Trailblazers with 15 points, shooting 6-for-11 with six rebounds. RIT held MCLA to only 34 percent shooting on the evening, while outrebounding them 38-27.

The Tigers shone with the new NCAA rules, in which there are four 10-minute quarters, instead of the usual two 20-minute halves. In the first period, RIT started slow, as the Trailblazers jumped to a quick 5-1 lead. A Glaz three-pointer and free throws by Bender gave the Tigers a small one-point lead. They would never trail again, as the Tigers went on a quick 8-0 run, capped by a Tara Lynch (Green Township, NJ/Newton) layup to bring the lead to 17-9.

Just after halftime, with the Tigers holding a 30-25 lead, the Trailblazers fought to bring the game close, trailing 32-30 after a jumper by MCLA's Courtney McLaughlin. RIT once again went on a quick spurt, with a layup by Cori Okada (Fullerton, CA/Troy), and jumpers by Lynch and Bender, to help the Tigers stem the tide. Coming out of the third quarter, up 46-36, the Tigers turned it on offensively, going on an 8-3 spurt to further put the game out of reach, thanks to baskets by Bender, Lynch, and Glaz. The Tigers closed out the game with 25 fourth-quarter points to take home the victory.

"It was a great first win for us," said RIT women's basketball head coach Amy Reed. "We started a little slow out of the gate and didn't have a good offensive flow, but in the second half we were a lot more patient offensively, worked the ball around more and got the ball inside."

The Tigers will play host Smith College (1-0) in the championship game of the Tyler Tip-Off, at 4 p.m. on Sunday.