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Saints men's basketball rally falls short, RPI wins 67-62

Posted 1/18/15

The St. Lawrence University men's basketball team rallied from a 14-point deficit in the second half, but Rensselaer was able to regroup behind Josh Dugas' 15 points as the visiting Engineers earned …

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Saints men's basketball rally falls short, RPI wins 67-62

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The St. Lawrence University men's basketball team rallied from a 14-point deficit in the second half, but Rensselaer was able to regroup behind Josh Dugas' 15 points as the visiting Engineers earned a 67-62 Liberty League win in Canton, NY on Saturday afternoon.

Dugas led Rensselaer (5-11, 2-5) behind 5-of-9 shooting, while Tyler Gendron and Nate Kane each had 13 points. St. Lawrence (7-7, 2-4) was led by Brady Condlin's 17 points and six rebounds, while Kyle Edwards had 13 points and six boards. The Engineers shot 55% from the floor including 8-for-16 from behind the arc, while the Saints shot 41% from the floor but only 21% from three point range (3-of-14).

Both teams shot above 50% from the floor in the first half, as Edwards had a team-high 11 points in the period while Gendron matched that total for RPI. The Engineers took a 35-33 lead into intermission thanks to their three-point shooting, as their 6-for-9 mark helped them hold a lead for the majority of the half.

The beginning of the second half put St. Lawrence in a hole, as the team was 0-for-7 from the field with three turnovers as RPI opened on a 12-0 run in the opening 5:30 to push the lead to 47-33. However, head coach Chris Downs changed gears, going to a full court press to try and create turnovers and chances. The move paid off, as St. Lawrence began chipping away at the lead with baskets by Leondre Simmon, Kaleb Faison and Condlin to get back to within six with 9:59 remaining.

Condlin owned the paint in the second half, as RPI couldn't stop him from getting possession and scoring on the block. However, Rensselaer had an answer each time, including a big-time three from Kane with 3:44 left to extend the lead back to four, 61-57. After a Condlin lay-up and a free throw by Dugas, Faison came up with a clutch three of his own to tie the score, 62-62, with 2:27 left.

Dugas was relentless, though, going right back to work and scoring on the ensuing possession. That basket proved to stand up, as the Saints were 0-for-5 in the final 2:00 minutes, including chances to tie from both Edwards and Kyle Kobis from behind the arc. The misses allowed Brian Hatcher to put the game away with two free throws in the final seconds, bringing the score to its final, 67-62.

St. Lawrence will hit the road next weekend for a pair of conference games at Vassar and Bard on January 23 and 24. Rensselaer hosts Hobart on Friday before heading to Union on Saturday.