ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The Skidmore College women's basketball team held off a late fourth-quarter rally to stay undefeated in Liberty League play, defeating RIT 71-60 Friday evening.
 
The Thoroughbreds improve to 6-0 in league play and 9-5 overall. The Tigers fall to 2-3 in the conference and 8-5 overall.
 
Three Skidmore players scored in double digits, led by junior guard Kelly Donnelly's ninth double-double of the season, scoring 17 points and adding 13 rebounds. Junior guard Ari Fustini hit a few big shots down the stretch, finishing with 11 points on an efficient 3-for-5 shooting from the field, and senior forward Migle Vilunaite finished with 10 points and five rebounds.
 
RIT guard Cori Okada led all scorers with 18 points. Fellow guard Ashlynn Palmitesso added 17 points off the bench, while forward Abby Judd added 12 points and eight rebounds.
 
The Thoroughbreds raced out to an early advantage, leading by as many as 10 in the first quarter. After an RIT run reduced the deficit to 21-19 midway through the second, Skidmore went on a 10-3 run. Freshman forward Lilly Berg got it started with a jump hook in the lane, then sophomore guard Haley English found Fustini for the easy layup on the next possession. Donnelly capped the run; her jumper from just outside the paint gave Skidmore a 31-22 lead with 3:22 to play in the half.
 
On defense, the Thoroughbreds held RIT to 0-for-6 shooting from beyond the arc, eventually heading to halftime with a 33-26 lead.
 
Skidmore started the second half on a 9-2 run, stretching the lead to as many as 14 points, eventually settling on a 51-40 lead after three. The Tigers tried to mount a fourth-quarter comeback, with an Okada layup reducing the deficit to 59-56 with 4:09 to go in regulation.
 
 On the next possession, Vilunaite finished inside to stretch the lead to five, then Fustini finished in the paint while getting fouled a few possessions later to stretch the lead to seven. Fustini and Donnelly scored all nine of Skidmore's points in the final 3:19 to secure the victory.

Skidmore had one of its best games on the offensive end, shooting 45.6 percent from the field. The Thoroughbreds also out-rebounded the Tigers 45-36.
 
The win completes the season sweep for the Thoroughbreds, who defeated RIT 67-66 in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. on Dec. 31.
 
The Thoroughbreds will wrap up the weekend with a visit to William Smith on Saturday at 2 p.m.