ROCHESTER, N.Y. - At halftime of Friday night's game, Rochester Institute of Technology's shooting statistics were eye-popping:

The Tigers shot 58 percent from the floor and 5-of-6 from beyond the three-point line. They scored 43 points in 20 minutes against a team that routinely holds opponents in the 50s or 60s.

Bard College had to figure, trailing 43-31 at halftime, that RIT couldn't keep shooting that way. Could they?

The Raptors rallied from a 16-point halftime deficit to cut the lead to one, then faded late in a thrilling 79-73 Liberty League loss.

RIT (8-6 overall, 3-3 Liberty League) did continue its torrid shooting early in the second half, and it was 60-44 with about 12 minutes left. But just as the Tigers were coming back to Earth with their shooting percentage, Bard's rose, led by freshman Emmanuel Rainey, who scored 13 of his game-high 22 points in the second half.

Bard cut the deficit to single digits with 9:20 left on a three-pointer by Rainey, making it 64-57. Rainey struck again from way out there with 8:08 left to make it 64-60, and then he did it again with 7:36 left to make it 64-63.

It was 68-63 when Zach Goodman hit a three-pointer, and with 5:46 to go, Bard was down by two, 68-66.

That's where it ended. Bard went 0-for-2 from the field with three turnovers over the next five minutes, and RIT survived. Bard is 7-7 overall, 2-3 in the Liberty League.

RIT freshman A.J. Horde (Oak Park, MI) finished with 20 points, 14 in the second half. Miguel Lopez (Guaynabo, PR) and JP Reagan (Cortland, NY) added 16 points apiece.

Rainey's 22 points were a career high in a career that is five games long. He went 5-for-7 from beyond the three-point arc. Fellow freshman DeVahnte Mosley added 16 points, six rebounds and five assists. Goodman made a trio of second-half threes and finished with nine points and five assists. Siondueh Burnette added nine points and seven rebounds.

Not much time to rest for the Raptors, who play defending Liberty League champion Hobart on Saturday afternoon at 4. Follow it live right here.