SCHENECTADY, NY -- Senior guard Jamie Zajac scored 20 points and three other players scored in double figures as Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute won for the eighth straight time, 85-77 at Union in a Liberty League Semifinal Men's Basketball playoff game Wednesday night in front of a season high 933 at the Viniar Athletic Center. With the win, the # seed Engineers (17-9) will play at top seed Hobart Saturday at 3 p.m. The Statesmen defeated #4 Skidmore at home, 77-72.
The Dutchmen finish the 2012-13 season with a record of 20-6, posting the sixth 20 win season in program history since the first season in 1898-99.
Brendan Farley and Daniel Martin scored 14 points each and Cedric White tallied 11 for the Engineers, who shot 49% and hit from 35% from three point territory. Martin led all RPI players with six rebounds. Tyler Gendron dished out a team high four assists and the Engineers outrebounded the hosts, 41-39.
Senior forward
Keven Donohue, in the final game of his career, scored 24 points and was 11 for 13 at the line with three assists. He posted a double-double with a game high 12 rebounds, the seventh double-double of his season and 15th of his career.
Keith Callies scored a career high 24 points with three assists and two steals and
Terell Winney added 14 points Union shot 39% for the contest. Donohue ended his outstanding career with 1,499 career points at Union, which ranks him fifth all-time in career scoring on the Schenectady campus.
Union had a 45-41 lead at halftime. The Dutchmen led by six at 50-44 with 17:54 left in the second half after a layup by senior
Joe Mason. But the Engineers went on a 13-1 run over the next 4:23, featuring four points by Martin. RPI led by as many as 11 at 68-57 with 8:54 left, but the Dutchmen got to within four with a 9-2 run led by five points from Callies, and it was 70-66 RPI with 5:25 left. Later, with 34 seconds remaining, a layup by senior
Matt Petrone pulled Union to within three at 80-77. But Martin converted a three point play for a six point lead with 27 left, and after he blocked a Union shot with 18 seconds left, a Union foul put Farley to the line with 10 seconds left and both free throws provided the eventual 85-77 final.
