SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.—The Rochester Institute of Technology shot 55.8 percent from the floor on the way to an 84-71 Liberty League men's basketball win over Skidmore College, Friday night at the Williamson Center.
 
The Thoroughbreds fall to 6-5 and 1-2, while the Tigers move to 5-5 and 1-0.
 
Erik Sanders led the Thoroughbreds with 22 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and two blocks. Edvinas Rupkus scored 15 points and Royce Paris added 10 points and two assists.
 
Kamron Davis (23) and AJ Horde (21) combined for 44 of RIT's 84 points. Miguel Lopez and Troy Pierre-Louis scored 10 each. Lopez added five assists.
 
The Tigers led the entire game, scoring the final four points of the first half to lead 37-30 at the break.
 
RIT hit five of its first six three-point attempts in the second half to open a 59-41 lead with 12:52 to play.  Skidmore worked its way back to within six, 67-61, behind consecutive three-point field goals from Tyler Victoria, Jack Byrne, and Rupkus.
 
That would be as close as the Thoroughbreds would get as the Tigers hit 10 of 14 free throws over the final minutes to preserve the win.
 
Both teams return to league action at 4 p.m. Saturday. Skidmore travels to Union, while RIT is at Rensselaer. 

COACH BURKE:
Credit RIT on a really well played game. I thought their players made big plays in big spots and because of that they were able to hold us off. We will go back to work and continue to search for some consistency. I think as a group we are searching for our way but we have not performed up to my expectations.   This program prides itself on being great defensively and we have been anything but that of late.  Regardless of who is on the floor we need to make no excuses and be better.  Tomorrow we get to travel down to play a very good Union team and we need to improve.