SCHENECTADY, NY – Senior Wade McNamara scored 20 points with 10 rebounds and fellow senior Deshon Burgess also scored 20 as the Union College men's basketball team held on to defeat the Rochester Institute of Technology, 71-70 at the Viniar Athletic Center Tuesday night. The Dutchmen, winners of three straight and seven of eight, improved to 12-8 overall and 8-4 in the Liberty League while the Tigers fell to 12-11 and 6-8 in league play.

McNamara recorded his 10th double-double and Burgess posted his 11th game with 20 or more points. Brendan Laing added nine points and Greg King had six rebounds for Union, which out rebounded RIT, 42-37. Union shot 32% in each half.

Troy Pierre-Louis led RIT with game highs of 32 points and five assists. He made nine of 10 free throws and 10 of 19 shots from the floor. Robert Aguilera had 14 points and Mitch Herman pulled down nine rebounds for the Tigers, who shot 41% but made 88% of the free throws (15 of 17). The only two misses at the charity stripe came in the final 27 seconds of the game.

After making two free throws with 6:42 left, Burgess made it a 65-58 Union lead. But Pierre-Louis hit two threes to make it a one point game with 5:26 left. Union was up by three with 2:57 to play on a layup by King (69-66), but Pierre-Louis made it a one point game again with a layup with 1:56 to play at 69-68, and he completed the three point play on the free throw to tie it at 69-69. Burgess made it 71-69 with 1:39 left and with 18 seconds remaining, Pierre-Louis made a free throw but missed the second. Union missed two free throws with 17 seconds remaining but a three point attempt for the win with two seconds remaining fell short for the Tigers, as Union got the rebound and wrapped up the victory.

RIT led 38-33 at halftime, and last led 44-43 with 16:06 left in the second. The game featured 13 ties.

Union remains home to face local rival RPI Friday night at 8 p.m.