ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The Skidmore College men's basketball team outlasted RIT in a back-and-forth Liberty League matchup, winning 72-68 on Friday evening.
 
The Thoroughbreds improve to 5-1 in league play, picking up their 10th win of the season to improve to 10-5 overall. The Tigers fall to 2-3 in the conference and 8-6 overall.
 
Skidmore relied on balanced scoring in the victory, with four players scoring in double digits. Sophomore guard Edvinas Rupkus led the way with a double-double, scoring 16 points and adding 12 rebounds. Senior guard Aldin Medunjanin scored 15 points, adding six rebounds and four assists. Sophomore Jack Byrne added 12 points, while freshman guard Pat Gallagher added 11 points.
 
Guard A.J. Horde led the way with 21 points and seven rebounds, while fellow guard Anthony Lewis added nine points.
 
The Thoroughbreds came out the gate strong, making three of their first four shots from the field to stake out the early 8-2 lead. A 3-pointer by Chase Ta gave the Thoroughbreds their largest lead of the game at 11-4. The Tigers clawed back, eventually taking a 32-30 lead on a Horde layup with 1:19 to go. With 17 seconds left in the half, Ta fed Byrne for a 3-pointer to tie the game at 34 heading into the break.
 
Skidmore took the lead coming out of the break on a Medunjanin layup, before both teams traded baskets and leads throughout the second half. With RIT clinging to a one-point, 59-58 lead, Rupkus scored the team's next four points to give the Thoroughbreds a 62-59 lead. After a 3-pointer by Lewis tied it at 62 with 3:23 to go, Rupkus fed Morrow, who drained a long 3-pointer of his own to retake the lead, one they would not relinquish. On the next possession, Medunjanin knifed through the lane, absorbing the contact and finishing, eventually completing the three-point play for the 68-62 edge.
 
RIT tried to mount a final comeback with a pair of Horde 3-pointers, but Rupkus finished with a jumper in the lane with 36 seconds left to put the game out of reach.  

Skidmore shot 42 percent from the field in the game, holding RIT to a shade over 40 percent. RIT held a slim 42-41 advantage on the boards.

"It was a real good effort by the guys tonight," said Skidmore head coach Joseph Burke. "It was a game of runs and we were fortunate enough to make the last one. We also had great balance and historically speaking when our program does that we are difficult to beat. We had some guys log way more minutes then they are used to so its important for us to rest. We need to get ready for another tough road test tomorrow."
 
The Thoroughbreds will wrap up the weekend with a visit to Hobart on Saturday at 4 p.m.