LAS VEGAS, Nev.— A deep bench proved to be the difference for the University of Wisconsin-Stout in a 63-62 win over Skidmore College in the D3hoops.com Classic Wednesday at the South Point Conference Center.
 
The loss drops the Thoroughbreds to 5-3, while the Blue Devils move to 5-6.
 
Edvinas Rupkus scored 21 points on 6-9 shooting from the floor for Skidmore. Erik Sanders added 18 points and Martin Bedulskij chipped in 13 points. Sanders represented the Thoroughbreds on the All-Tournament Team.

UW-Stout had a 37-6 bench scoring advantage.

The Thoroughbreds held the Blue Devils to 25 points over the first 20 minutes to take a 30-25 lead into the break.  Bedulskij scored all 13 of his points in the first half.
 
The game remained tight in the second half, with five ties and seven lead changes. Rupkus kept Skidmore  close with 16 second-half points, half of the team's 32 point total.
 
Rupkus hit a pair of free throws to knot the score 56-56 with 1:51 to play. The Blue Devils scored the next four points off layups by John Keefe to lead 60-56.  Sanders cut it to two, 60-58 with a bucket at the 12 second mark.
 
UW Stout's Cory Speer hit one of two free throws with 11 seconds left. Rupkus went to the line with nine seconds to play and hit two to cut it back to one, 61-60. Speer returned the favor, making two free throws on the Blue Devil end at the eight second mark for a 63-60 lead. Rupkus went two-for-two from the line with four seconds to play to cut it back to 63-62.
 
Skidmore got the ball back on a possession with two seconds left after Jack Byrne tied it up below the Thoroughbred basket.  An inbounds pass forced a double-teamed Bedulskij into a tough three-point attempt that fell just short.
 
The Thoroughbreds return home to open Liberty League play Jan. 2 at 4 p.m. against Bard.