TROY, N.Y. - Dom Black and Patrick Mahoney combined for 33 points, 19 rebounds, six assists and five steals to lead the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) men's basketball team to a 76-64 victory over RIT, giving the Engineers a school record-tying 20th win on the season. RPI is now 20-3 overall and 15-1 in the Liberty League, while the Tigers fall to 8-15 and 5-11.

Black, a sophomore guard, filled the scoresheet with 17 points, eight rebounds, five assists and three steals, while Mahoney added a double-double of 16 points and 11 rebounds, along with an assist and two steals. They were two of four Engineers to reach double figures, joining Mason Memmelaar (15) and Kevin Davis (14). The foursome combined to shoot 58.5 percent from the field (24 of 41), including six three pointers (6 for 15). 

RIT was led by Curtis Nesbit, who tied Black for game-high honors with 17 points. He also had a rebound and four assists. Keegan Ocorr pitched in with 15 points and Kevin Ryan scored 14 for the Tigers, who shot 60 percent in the second half to battle back from a 13-point (39-26) deficit.

The Tigers Matt Anderson opened the second with a three and Ryan scored on a layup to get the visitors to within eight points just a minute in. A Cobey Adekanbi layup a minute later made it a seven point game (42-35) and Ocorr nailed a three to make it 42-38 at the 17:18 mark. Anderson followed with a layup and a free throw to complete a 16-2 run and put RIT down by only one, 42-41. Mahoney answered in the paint, but five straight points by the Tigers, including a dunk by Adekanbi and a trey from Nesbit, made it a 21-4 run and a 46-44 lead for RIT.

Rensselaer got the advantage right back when Will Rubin nailed a long three pointer and Black scored a fast break layup before finishing the three point play with a successful free throw. Nesbit and Mahoney traded from long distance before Mahoney scored again and Memmelaar hit a jumper for a 59-51 lead with just over 10 minutes to play. 

A pair of RIT buckets pulled it to within four points, but Black hit from behind the arc to start an 8-0 run that built the lead to 12 (67-55) with seven minutes left. The advantage stayed at three possessions-or-more the rest of the contest.

RPI, which forced 15 turnovers and had 10 steals, travels to Clarkson University on Friday and St. Lawrence University on Saturday to finish out the regular season. It will attempt to break the school wins mark that was originally set in 1990-91 (20-5) and matched in 1995-96 (20-8).

RIT returns to Rochester to finish the regular season at home next weekend, beginning with a game against Skidmore College.