TROY, NY – The RIT men's basketball team (6-5, 2-0 Liberty League) relied on balanced scoring and hot shooting to stay undefeated in Liberty League play, beating Rensselaer (7-6, 1-3 Liberty League) 76-53 on Saturday afternoon.
 
The Tigers were scorching hot from long range against the best scoring defensive team in the Liberty League coming into this weekend. RIT shot 12-for-23 from downtown, with Mitch Herman (Webster, NY/Webster Schroeder) hitting six 3-pointers to lead the team. Herman ended the day with a team-high 18 points, adding six rebounds.
 
A.J. Horde went 6-for-13 shooting from the field, scoring 16 points while adding six assists. Troy Pierre-Louis (Providence, RI/Berkshire School) scored in double figures for the second straight game with 12 points off the bench, while Kamron Davis (Syracuse, NY/Nottingham) added 10 points. Sheldon Clay (Detroit, MI/University of Detroit Jesuit) had 11 rebounds to lead the team on the boards.
 
Tom Horvat and Tyler Gendron each scored 12 points to lead the Engineers, who shot 33 percent from the field, including 3-for-21 from beyond the arc.
 
The win extends the Tigers win streak against RPI to five games, as they are averaging 88.8 points per game during this recent run. RIT also finished the weekend sweep of two capital region teams, after beating Skidmore 84-71 on Friday night, giving the Tigers their first 2-0 Liberty League start.
 
"We got some good looks early," said RIT men's basketball coach Bob McVean. "The defensive end fed into our offensive end tonight, keeping their shooters contained. We got some good performances again from a lot of different players. We have some capable kids, and as the season continues I hope to find some consistency. We have a long way to go, but to win two on the road is a very good step forward."
 
After the Engineers took an early 7-3 lead in the first half, RIT began to find their stride on offense. Clay hit a jumper from the top of the key, bringing the deficit to two. On the next possession, Horde grabbed the defensive rebound, starting a one-man fast break, pulling up from midrange to tie the game at seven. After another defensive stop, Horde hit a three from the corner, giving the Tigers a lead they would not relinquish. RIT then went on a 15-4 run, stretching the lead to 31-16.
 
The Engineers would later make a small run of their own, bringing the lead as close as 11 in the second half, at 41-30, with 18:14 to go, but Horde fed Davis in the post on the next possession, as he finished a reverse layup to further put the game out of reach.
 
The Tigers will return home with a conference matchup against Union (4-7, 2-2 Liberty League) on Tuesday, January 12, at 8 p.m.