TROY, N.Y. – The Skidmore College women's basketball team held RPI without a field goal during a crucial stretch late, delivering a 60-55 victory in Liberty League action Friday evening.
The Thoroughbreds get back into the win column to improve to 7-1 in league play, and 10-6 overall. The Engineers fall to 6-11 overall and 1-7 in the conference.
Junior guard
Kelly Donnelly hit a few big shots down the stretch for the Thoroughbreds, leading all scorers with 29 points, adding nine rebounds and three steals. Junior guard
Veronica Moceri added 13 points and six rebounds and sophomore guard
Haley English paced the Skidmore attack with five assists.
RPI forward Shaina Iton tallied a double-double, scoring 10 points to go along with 19 rebounds, and guard Sam Krumbhaar led the Engineers with 12 points. Skidmore made Krumbhaar work on offense, as she went 1-for-11 from the field, but made all 10 of her free throw attempts.
Skidmore's defense was great in the first half, as they raced to a 36-24 halftime lead. The Thoroughbreds forced the Engineers to an 0-for-8 performance from 3-point range, shooting 27.6 percent from the field. It's the second time in three games that the Thoroughbreds held an opponent without a made 3-pointer in the first half.
It was RPI who turned things on defensively in the third quarter. The Engineers outscored Skidmore 16-5 in the third quarter and briefly took its first lead of the game in the fourth, 42-41, on a pair of Iton free throws.
Skidmore eventually retook the lead, 47-45, in the fourth quarter off a Donnelly putback. After a pair of free throws by Krumbharr gave Skidmore a one-point, 53-52 lead, Donnelly hit a jumper on the other end, and scored on a layup off an RPI turnover to give the Thoroughbreds a five-point cushion with 1:06 remaining.
Skidmore held RPI to 25.8 percent shooting from the field and 18.2 percent from 3-point range in the contest, but were outrebounded 42-34. Skidmore scored a season-best 20 points off turnovers.
The Thoroughbreds will return home to host Bard on Saturday at 2 p.m.
