PITTSFORD, NY -- The RIT (3-1) men's basketball team picked up a big, early-season road win on Friday with an 87-79 victory over host Nazareth College (4-1) in the opening game of the Mark's Pizzeria Crosstown Classic at Kidera Gym on Friday evening. 

RIT featured four players in double-figures led by AJ Horde (Oak Park, MI/University of Detroit Jesuit) who scored 21 points. Joe Stortini (Red Hook, NY/Loomis Chaffee) and Charles Okehie (Owing Mills, MD/McDonogh) each scored 11 points off the bench, while Justin Schneider (Aurora, NY/Southern Cayuga) added 10 points and 10 rebounds. The Tigers shot 49.2 percent from the floor on 30-of-61 shooting. RIT went 6-of-18 from behind the arc, and were 21-of-34 from the foul line.

"I thought it was a good, gutsy win tonight," said RIT head coach Bob McVean. "We had a lot of guys contribute for us. I was pleased with our guys on the boards. Justin (Schneider), Kevin Drain (Baldwinsville, NY/C.W. Baker) and Charles (Okehie) were a real presence down low for us. We made some big buckets and free throws down the stretch."

Tyler Stenglein led Nazareth with 24 points and eight rebounds. Brendan Wind added 13 points, while Cody Green scored 11 points for the Golden Flyers who shot 45.2 percent from the floor.

The first half was a back and forth affair throughout. Nazareth led by three in the early minutes of the game, before RIT came back to take a five point lead midway through the half. The Golden Flyers came back, taking a 20-19 lead on a bucket by Wind with 10:16 to play, and Mitch Keniston gave Nazareth a 22-20 lead with his free throws with just under 10 minutes to play.

RIT's offense finally woke up, taking the lead back on a 3-pointer by Jaymee Rosser (Newark, NY/Newark) with 8:14 to play. Okehie extended the lead to 31-24 with an old fashioned 3-point play at th 6:10 mark. Stortini gave the Tigers their largest lead of the game with his basket with 1:06 to play, making it 45-32 RIT. The Tigers outscored Nazareth 25-12 over the final 9:59 of the half to lead 45-34 at the break.

Nazareth scored the first seven points of the second half, cutting the RIT lead to 45-41 on a layup by Jake Burgio less than four minutes in. After a Nazareth turnover, Jay Rosser drained a big 3-pointer off an assist from Mitch Herman (Webster, NY/Webster Schroeder) to extend the RIT lead back to 50-41.

Herman gave the Tigers their largest lead of the half with his layup with 8:35 to play, giving RIT a 66-56 lead. Nazareth responded with a 9-2 mini-run, cutting the Tigers lead to 68-65 on a bucket by Burgio with 5:56 to play.

After a Nazareth miss, Troy Pierre-Louis (Providence, RI/Berkshire School) drained a big 3-pointer with 5:13 to play, giving RIT a 71-65 lead. After a Josh Gillard long range jumper cut the Tigers lead to 72-70, Pierre-Louis drained another big 3-pointer, this time from the corner off an assist from Wyatt Smith (Rochester, NY/Irondequoit).

Nazareth would get to within three points, but a big bucket from Schneider and clutch free throws down the stretch helped to secure the win. RIT held a 42-35 rebounding edge, and assisted on 13-of-30 baskets. Schneider led RIT with 10 rebounds, while Smith added six boards. Horde had seven assists and a steal.

RIT plays St. John Fisher College on Saturday in game two of the Mark's Pizzeria Crosstown Classic at 6 p.m. on the campus of Nazareth College.