ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. - Sure, if Bard had its way, its impact on the Liberty League playoffs would be that they actually made the playoffs.

But this will do.

The Bard College men's basketball team defeated Rochester Institute of Technology, 73-58, on Saturday afternoon. The loss dropped RIT into a flat-footed tie with St. Lawrence for the fourth and final playoff spot. It was Bard's first win over RIT in eight tries.

Bard has more conference wins this season (5) than it did in the previous three seasons combined (3). RIT was added to a short list of Liberty League teams Bard beat for the first time this season, joining Hobart and Union.

The Tigers came into Saturday's game with one of the highest-scoring offenses and leakiest defenses in the league. Bard defended well, holding the Tigers well under their average, but also forced RIT to defend. The Tigers chose instead to foul, and Bard made enough (24-of-33) to keep the guests from putting any big runs together.

Bard led by 11 at halftime, and although RIT cut it to six early in the second half, the Tigers never got closer.

Bard dominated the glass (50-30) and put four players in double figures, led by Siondueh Burnette, who had 19 points and 11 rebounds. With games remaining against Vassar and RPI, Burnette is 15 points shy of 1,000 for his career.

Alex Fabean-Scotch had 14 points, DeVahnte Mosley had 13 points and eight rebounds, and Harry Johnson added 10 points and five rebounds for Bard (10-13 overall, 5-9 Liberty League). No Bard men's basketball team has ever won more than 11 games in a season. The 2003-04 team went 11-13.

RIT (12-11, 7-7) got 17 points from freshman A.J. Horde (Oak Park, MI).

Bard's final home game will be played on Wednesday night, when Vassar visits. The final game of the season will be played next Sunday at RPI. Follow both games live right here.