TROY, N.Y. - The Ithaca College men's basketball team scored 14 points in overtime on its way to defeating Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) 80-69 in the championship game of the Liberty League Tournament to earn an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament. The third-seeded Bombers, who improve to 23-5, find out their first round opponent on Monday afternoon. The top-seeded Engineers, who are now 23-4, are hopeful of receiving an at-large bid into the national tournament.

With the score at 66-66, Ithaca senior Riley Thompson scored the first six points of the overtime on a pair of long three pointers from the left wing. His first came with 4:27 showing on the clock and his second was 1:01 later. Sebastian Alderete, also a senior who was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, rebounded an RPI miss on the Engineers' subsequent possession and was fouled. He made 1 of 2 free throws for a 73-66 lead with 2:59 to play. 

Rensselaer got to within five points, 73-68, on a layup by sophomore Dom Black with 2:30 left, but Thompson countered with a pair from the foul line for a 75-68 lead with 1:12 to play. Patrick Mahoney was fouled on RPI's next possession and connected on one shot, but Thompson answered with four more from the stripe to make it 79-69 with 43 seconds remaining. An Alderete free throw closed out the scoring.

A forward, Aldrete finished with game-highs of 28 points - on 11 of 16 shooting - and 11 rebounds with four assists, two steals and a block. He had a double-double of 17 points and 10 rebounds in an 80-72 victory over second-seeded Hobart College in the semifinals. Thompson finished with 19 points, 12 coming in overtime, with four assists and two steals. Bryan Karl had 16 points and Skylar Sinon, who scored 36 points against the Statesmen in the semis, had 15 with eight rebounds.

The Engineers put four players in double figures, led by freshman Jonny Angbazo's 17. A forward, he also had four rebounds, an assist, two steals and a block. Black scored 14 points with 10 rebounds and four assists, while Kevin Davis had 13 points and four assists. Will Rubin went for 11 points with five rebounds for the Engineers, who held a 42-34 edge on the boards.