TROY, N.Y. – D3hoops.com #24 and top-seeded Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute outscored fourth-seeded Union College by 20 points over the final 13:18 to break open a tie game and defeat the Dutchmen by a 78-58 score in the semifinals of the 2020 Liberty League Tournament on Saturday afternoon at the East Campus Athletic Village.
 
Senior Kevin Jefferson scored a team-high 15 points in his final collegiate game to lead Union (16-10). He was followed in double-figures by sophomores Mike Manley and Mike Concannon with 13 points and 12 points, respectively, while classmate Brian Noone added six points and a team-best eight rebounds.
 
Union started the game strong by scoring seven of the first nine points, as the team hit some outside shots and junior Rhona Eseyade dominated the interior with a block and multiple shot alterations. Neither team led by more than two possessions for the entire opening half, including four lead changes in the final three minutes that resulted in the Engineers taking a 33-32 lead into halftime.
 
Jefferson led all scorers with nine points at the break, as Union shot 44.8 percent (13 of 29) from the field and limited RPI to 39.5 percent (15 of 38) shooting.
 
The teams continued to stay close at the start of the second half, and Union grabbed its last lead of the game with 15:11 left in the second, when Jefferson knocked down his fifth triple of the day to put the Dutchmen up 44-43.
 
A jumper by Concannon followed to knot the score at 46, but the game changed dramatically after that, as RPI scored 12 straight points as part of a 21-3 run over a 7:54 span that put the home team up 67-49 with 5:52 on the clock. RPI hit 8-of-14 shots during the span, while Union missed 10 of its 11 attempts.
 
Union could get no closer than 16 the rest of the way, as the Rensselaer defense continued to put pressure on the Dutchmen. Union shot just 28.6 percent (8 of 28) in the second half, finishing the game at 36.8 percent, while Rensselaer hit 17-of-30 attempts (56.7 percent) to pull away over the final 20 minutes.

Led by 19 points from Patrick Mahoney and 13 points and nine boards from Mason Memmelaar, RPI boasted a 44-18 edge in scoring in the paint and also a 20-8 advantage in second-chance points.
 
The game marks the final collegiate contest for Union's two seniors, Jefferson and Martynas Simanavicius. The Dutchmen are slated to return four of their five starters and many top performers next season as the team looks to return to the postseason.