ROCHESTER, NY – Junior AJ Horde (Oak Park, MI/University of Detroit Jesuit) became the 21st player in program history to score 1,000 career points as the RIT (6-2) men's basketball team defeated SUNY Polytechnic 85-75 on Saturday afternoon. Horde, who finished with 26 points, drained a 3-pointer 42 seconds into the game to reach the milestone. Horde is the first player to reach 1,000 points at the university since All-American Mark Carson in 2009.

"It is a great milestone for any player," said RIT head coach Bob McVean. "To reach the milestone this early in his junior season shows the type of career AJ has had to this point and there is a lot more still to come."

RIT shot 47.7 percent from the floor on 30-of-63 shooting. The Tigers went 11-of-30 from beyond the arc, and shot 14-of-22 from the foul line.

Horde was one of four Tigers to score in double-figures, giving him 1,023 career points. Troy Pierre-Louis (Providence, RI/Berkshire School) added 12 points, while Mitch Herman (Webster, NY/Webster Schroeder) and Justin Schneider (Aurora, NY/Southern Cayuga) each tallied 11 points. Horde also finished with seven assists and a steal, while Pierre-Louis, Herman and Schneider each had five rebounds.

Quayshaun Mitchell led SUNY Poly with 28 points and 13 rebounds. Kevin Williams added 10 points and 13 rebounds, and Josh Gregory scored 17 points off the bench for the Wildcats, who shot 38.6 percent from the floor.

RIT opened the game scoring the first eight points, taking an 8-0 lead on a layup by Schneider. Horde gave the Tigers a 3-0 lead on his long distance jumper 42 seconds into the game to reach the hallowed milestone.

Jaymee Rosser (Newark, NY/Newark) gave RIT its largest lead of the first half with his 3-pointer off an assist from Horde with 13:35 to play, making it 21-10 Tigers.

SUNY Poly answered back with a 12-2 run, cutting the RIT lead to 23-22 on a pair of free throws by Gregory with 7:35 to play in the half. RIT built its lead back to nine points on a jumper by Horde with 37 seconds to play before halftime, but a pair of Mitchell free throws made it 42-35 RIT at the half.

The Tigers built their lead back to 11 points on a 3-pointer from Herman off an assist from Horde early in the second half, to make the score 50-39 RIT. SUNYIT would answer back, cutting the RIT lead to five points on a layup by Tyler Taverne with 15:55 to play.

Marcell Davis (Buffalo, NY/St. Joseph's Institute) drained a jumper with 13:11 to play that capped off a run by the Tigers, increasing their lead back to 55-45. A free throw by Schneider with 8:58 to play gave RIT its largest lead of the game to that point, at 59-47.

SUNYIT got as close as six points down the stretch, but the Tigers hit some big shots down the stretch to complete a 3-0 week.

"We are starting to see more continuity offensively," said McVean. "Our guys are looking for each other and finding the open man. We are off to a good start to the season. Our confidence is building heading into the Liberty League portion of our schedule.

SUNY Poly held a 54-32 rebounding edge, while the Tigers assisted on 16-of-30 baskets. RIT scored 30 points in the paint, and got 16 points off the bench.

The Tigers begin Liberty League play on Friday, Dec. 30 at Rensselaer at 4 p.m., and Saturday, Dec. 31 at Skidmore College at 2 p.m.