Saratoga Springs, N.Y.-- Rensselaer held off a late Skidmore College rally for a 78-69 Liberty League win Saturday at the Sports and Recreation Center.
 
The Red Hawks improve to 5-6 in Liberty League play and 10-12 overall. The Thoroughbreds are 1-11 and 6-17.
 
RPI build an 11-point halftime lead, 35-24, with 16 points coming on second-chance points.
 
Skidmore battled back in the second half. Down 61-48 with 7:24 to play, the Thoroughbreds used a 10-0 run to close to within three, 61-58 with 5:39 to play. The Red Hawks would regroup, hitting nine straight free throws down the stretch for the 78-69 win.  RPI was 23-26 from the charity stripe for the game.
 
Jon Douglas (Shutesbury, Mass.) scored 13 of his game-high 16 points in the second half for Skidmore.  Senior Ryan Fischer-Werner (Brooklyn, N.Y.) scored 13 points and added a game-high eight assists on Senior Day.  Senior Jonah Haviland-Markowitz (Brooklyn, N.Y.) dropped in 12 points and a game-high seven rebounds,  Jeff Altimar (Medfield, Mass.) scored 11 and Jake Shechtman (Wynnewood, Pa.) had 10.
 
Sam Simmons (Newburgh, N.Y.) let four RPI players in double figures with 15 points.  Ricky Philatre (Randolph, Mass) scored 14, Mike Brion (Nashua, N.H.) 13, and Kris Kowalczyk (Valrico, Fla.) 11.
 
Skidmore will close out the regular-season on the road next weekend at Hamilton and Hobart.