SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.—Freshman Edvinas Rupkus scored a game-high 24 points and senior Erik Sanders added 19 points to lead the Skidmore College men's basketball team to an 82-77 win over Middlebury College, Saturday at the Williamson Center.
 
The Thoroughbreds have won five straight to take a 5-1 record into the semester break. The Panthers are 3-5.
 
The game stayed within two possessions for most of the first half with Middlebury scoring the final four points of the half to take a 35-29 lead into the break.  Matt St. Armour led the Panthers with 14 points, while Sanders scored 13 for the Thoroughbreds.
 
The game stayed tight in the second half, with five lead changes and two ties in the final 20 minutes.
 
Skidmore opened the stanza with a 7-0 run, capped by a Rupkus three, to retake the lead 36-35 at the 17:45 mark.
 
The Thoroughbreds carved their biggest lead of the game, when Erik Sanders converted a midcourt steal into a quick field goal for a 68-58 lead with 4:35 to play. That would be Skidmore's last field goal of the game.
 
The Panthers used a 12-4 run to get to within two, 72-70 with 59.8 to play. Armour had five of the 12 points, while Hilal Dahleh hit a three-pointer to close the run.
 
Forced to the line, Skidmore went a perfect 10-10 over the final minute for the 82-77 win.  The Thoroughbreds hit their final 14 free throws of the game over the final 4:35, with Rupkus going 10-10.
 
Rupkus scored 23 points in the second half, going 5-6 from the floor and 12-13 from the line. Sanders added eight rebounds and two blocks to his 19 points. Issac Carp came off the bench to score 13 points, 10 in the second half.
 
 
St. Armour led Middlebury with 23 points, while Matt Daley chipped in 19 points and nine rebounds. Jake Brown scored 10 points and had five assists.
 
Skidmore is off until the D3HOOPS.COM Classic Dec. 28-29 in Las Vegas. The Thoroughbreds play Ramapo on Dec. 28 Wisconsin-Stout on Dec. 29.

COACH BURKE:
"I am really proud of our effort tonight especially in the second half.  Middlebury is a great program and they will fight you till the very end. I thought we made some big 2nd half plays and got some great contributions from our bench once again.

"This group continues to get better everyday. It's no secret that we have been playing without one of the best players in the country yet these guys have come together and are competing at the highest level.  We will use the break to get better and get healthy. I am excited for what this team is and what we can become."