SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.—Skidmore College put up 31 fourth quarter points, but came up just short in an 81-74 Liberty League women's basketball loss to Rochester Institute of Technology, Friday night at the Williamson Center.
 
The Thoroughbreds are 6-5 overall and 1-2 in league play, while the Tigers jump to 8-2 and 3-0.
 
Kelly Donnelly topped Skidmore in scoring with 20 points, including 18 in the second half. Haley English scored 13 and had five assists. Caite Opfer contributed eight points, six rebounds, and a pair of steals off the bench.
 
Tara Lynch was one of four RIT players in double figures with a game-high 23 points. Jessica Glaz added 11, while Taylor Burns (16) and Cori Okada (10) combine for 26 points off the bench.
 
The Tigers took advantage of 17 Thoroughbred turnovers to take a 40-30 lead at the half.  RIT extended the lead to 17, 57-40 with 1:17 of the third when Okada scored eight consecutive points on two long three pointers and a pair of free throws.
 
Skidmore kept fighting to stay in the game. Trailing 68-52 with 5:26 to play, the Thoroughbreds battled back with an 18-8 run to pull within six, 76-70 with :26 left. Veronica Moceri capped the run with three straight free throws after taking a hard foul on a three-point attempt.
 
A pair of Donnelly free throws with five seconds left cut it to 79-74, but Lynch went 2-2 from the line with three seconds left to clinch it for the Tigers.
 
Skidmore used 19 offensive rebounds to score 27 second-chance points. The Thoroughbreds finished with a 41-29 rebound advantage.  
 
Both teams return to action Saturday. Skidmore travels to Union for a 2 p.m. contest, while the Tigers head to Rensselaer.

COACH BENNETT:
We did a great job of getting to the free throw line and making it count but it was too little too late. Our end game intensity has to be our entire game intensity. If we play 40 minutes like we played the last 5 or 6 minutes we win, we win a lot and we get to the top. We are a top level team but in spurts. We have to be great and top level all the time to get where we want to get.