Box Score SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY -- The Skidmore College men's basketball team dropped a back-and-forth Liberty League matchup against Vassar College, 71-66, Friday night at the Williamson Sports Center.
 
The Thoroughbreds move to 7-4 (1-1 Liberty), while the Brewers improve to 9-1 (1-0 Liberty), extending their winning streak to nine.
 
Perun Kovacevic led the Thoroughbreds with 16 points and seven rebounds, Erik Sanders scored 15 points and recorded seven rebounds, Aldin Medunjanin had 14 points and six assists and Connor Merrill added 11 points and seven boards.
 
Vassar's Erikson Wasyl, who went 6-9 from 3-point range, and Johnny Mrlik led all scorers, each registering 18 points and Alex Snyder contributed a game-high 13 rebounds and four blocks to go with eight points.
 
Both team struggled to make shots in the opening minutes, but the Brewers rattled off a 8-0 run behind back-to-back 3-pointers from Wasyl to take a 10-4 lead. The Thoroughbreds bounced back with a 12-4 run of their own capped by a Sanders 3-pointer to take a 16-14 lead.  The two teams traded baskets over the next seven minutes, but Skidmore managed to pull ahead late in the first (32-31), as Doolun Anyum chipped in with four points and a steal off the bench in the final two minutes of the first.
 
Kovacevic got a layup to fall on the Thoroughbreds first possession of the second half, but Wasyl immediately responded for the Brewers, hitting a deep 3-pointer to tie the game (34-34). Vassar took the lead two minutes later with another Wasyl 3-pointer and Johnny Mrlik converted on a tough layup and got the ensuing free-throw to fall, giving the Brewers a 42-38 lead.
 
Skidmore regained control of the contest with a 3-pointer from Sanders and two from Medunjanin, taking a 53-49 lead with under 10 minutes to play.  After the Thoroughbreds opened up their largest lead of the contest with eight minutes to play, Vassar put together a 9-0 run with Wasyl and Mrlik hitting key 3-pointers to give the Brewers a 62-60 lead.
 
Vassar continued to make shots down the stretch, while forcing Skidmore into tough shots, holding the Thoroughbreds scoreless for 3:30 of the final four minutes of the contest, preserving a 71-66 win.
 
Skidmore hosts Hobart Saturday, Jan. 11 at 4 p.m.