POUGHKEEPSIE, NY – The RIT men's basketball team (10-11, 6-6 Liberty League) couldn't rally back from an early deficit, falling in a road conference matchup to Vassar (11-10, 7-5 Liberty League) 72-65 on Saturday afternoon. 
 
AJ Horde (Oak Park, MI/University of Detroit Jesuit) led the Tigers with 23 points in the contest, adding three assists and three steals. Kamron Davis (Syracuse, NY/Nottingham) notched a double-double off the bench, scoring 12 points and adding 10 rebounds. Mitch Herman (Webster, NY/Webster Schroeder) added 10 rebounds and two blocks.
 
Four Vassar players scored in double figures, led by Mickey Adams' 21 points. Vassar was able to score from beyond the arc, hitting 11 3-pointers, while shooting nearly 44 percent from behind the arc. The Tigers shot 41 percent from the field.
 
The Tigers are 7-5 against Vassar all-time, as the Brewers sweep the season series. The last time the teams played at Clark Gym, Vassar came out with a 74-63 victory.

Despite the loss, the Tigers are still one game out of a playoff spot in the league. The Tigers still play three of the four teams ahead of them in the standings.
 
"We gave up easy baskets to begin the two halves," said RIT men's basketball head coach Bob McVean. "We need to get on the floor and get ready to play in both halves, because that was the difference. When we did get back in the game, we could neither get the next stop, nor get the next two baskets. It disappointing, but we need to get home and get some wins."
 
Vassar comes out to a 9-2 run in the first 2:47, eventually stretching the lead to 20-9. RIT battled back using its bench unit. Davis came off the bench and scored on three straight baskets to reduce the deficit to eight. In all, 11 points from the bench unit and a Horde lay up with two seconds remaining gave the Tigers a 33-28 deficit at halftime.
 
Vassar went on another run, this time at 8-0, to push the lead to 13. Jesse Browne eventually hit a three to give the Brewers their largest lead of the contest at 17.
 
The Tigers then make their move, going on a 10-0 run, highlighted by a few great plays by Horde. On offense, Horde took a pick, and knifed through the lane, scoring on a layup, then pick pocketed the Vassar ball handler coming up the court to get another easy basket. Later on in the quarter, Horde hit a 3-pointer from the wing to reduce the deficit to six, at 60-54, with 5:22 remaining in regulation. RIT would get no closer, as the Brewers then went on a 9-0 run to pull away for good.
 
The Tigers will return home on Friday with a matchup against league leader St. Lawrence at 8 p.m. at Clark Gym.