TROY, N.Y. - Playing in front of the largest crowd for a basketball game at East Campus Athletic Village (ECAV) Arena, the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) men's basketball team used a 17-1 second half surge to defeat Union College 78-58 in the semifinals of the Liberty League Tournament. The top-seeded Engineers, who got double digit scoring from four different student-athletes in front of more than 800 spectators, host the championship game against third-seeded Ithaca College on Sunday at 2pm.

Following a tight first half that saw RPI with a 33-32 lead at the break, the score remained close for the first eight minutes of the second half. Rensselaer then went on a 12-0 run that turned into a 17-1 stretch over in a 6:21 span to take control, 67-59, with 5:52 to play. Jonny Angbazo, Mitchel Wayand and Patrick Mahoney each scored from beyond the arc and Mason Memmelaar and Dom Black both had two baskets to account for RPI's points. The Dutchmen, meanwhile, were forced into two turnovers, were 0 for 7 from the field and went 1 for 4 from the free throw line. 

The Engineers built the lead to as many as 23 points (78-55) with under a minute to play before Union's Mike Manley made a three pointer for the final margin.

Rensselaer shot 56.7 percent (17 of 30) from the field in the second half and 47.1 percent (32 of 68) overall, while holding Union to only 28.6 percent (8 of 28) and 36.8 percent (21 of 57), respectively. RPI had 47 rebounds (16 offensvie) to the Dutchmen's 30 and managed six more steals (9-3).

Mahoney led all scorers with 19 points, along with five rebounds and a pair of assists, while Memmelaar and Black both had 13 points. A sophomore forward, Memmelaar added a game-high nine rebounds, including six on the offensive end, with three assists, while Black, a sophomore guard had five caroms and two assists. A freshman, Angbazo had 12 points on 5 of 6 shooting, including 2 of 3 from three point range. Senior Kevin Davis added seven rebounds, along with seven points and a game-high five assists.

Senior Kevin Jefferson paced the visitors with 15 points, including five three pointers. Manley finished with 13 points and Mike Concannon scored 12. Brian Noone had six points and a team-high eight rebounds in defeat.

Union, the fourth seed, finishes with a 16-10 record, while the Engineers are now 23-3. RPI's last loss came at the hands of Ithaca 62-60 on February 9 in Troy. The Bombers, who are 22-5, advanced to the championship game with an 80-72 win over second-seeded Hobart in the second semifinal.