SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. –Sophomore guard Chase Ta scored a career-high 27 points to lead the Skidmore College men's basketball team to an 83-66 win over St. Lawrence University Tuesday night at the Williamson Center.
 
It was the sixth straight win for the Thoroughbreds, who move into first place in the Liberty League with a 9-1 league and 14-5 overall record. The Saints lose their first league game of the season to go 7-1 and 14-3.
 
Ta more than doubled his previous high of 13 points. He hit five of eight three-point attempts and added a career-high five assists.
 
Skidmore had four players in double figures with Jack Byrne hitting for 17 points to go along with three blocks, three assists, and three steals. Aldin Medunjanin and Edvinas Rupkus had double/doubles. Medunjanin finished with 12 points, 12 rebounds, six assists and three blocks. Rupkus navigated foul trouble to contribute 10 points, 10 rebounds and two assists.
 
Ben Crawford led the Saints with 15 points, while Riley Nacierio had 12 points and 10 rebounds. Willie Zachery scored 13 points to go along with three assists.
 
St. Lawrence got off to a quick start, taking a 6-2 lead at the 16:58 mark of the first half behind six points from Crawford. That was the biggest lead of the game for the Saints. The teams exchanged the lead five times before Ta and Jack Morrow hit consecutive threes to put Skidmore up 22-17 with 7:54 to play in the half.
 
The Saints stayed within two possessions for the next three minutes, but couldn't get back in front. Up 25-24, Skidmore went on a 12-0 run to open a 35-24 lead that extended to 44-28 at the half. Ta had five points, Rupkus four, and Byrne three in the run.
 
It took the teams awhile to find the basket in the second half. Zachery scored the first points of the half on a short jumper at 16:35 for the Saints. Zachery scored all 13 of his points in the second stanza. Medunjanin hit a pair of free throws at 16:08, but Skidmore's first field goal of the half didn't come until a Byrne three with 13:34 left and a 49-33 lead.
 
St. Lawrence went on a 7-0 mini run to get within nine 49-40 with 11:19 to play, but that was as close as Skidmore would let them get, outscoring the Saints 34-26 the rest of the way for the 83-66 final.
 
" I'm really pleased with our energy and execution today," said Skidmore coach Joe Burke. "That is a good basketball team we just beat and I thought our guys continued to be dialed in.
 
"Defensively they can really score so we challenged our guys on that end of the floor and I thought we answered the call. Offensively, we took what the defense gave us. Guys stepped into different roles tonight but at the end of the day they all did it successfully.
 
"We need to get some rest and get healthy. This group just played 11 games in the last 25 days and they deserve some time off."
The Thoroughbreds are off until Feb. 3 when the team travels to Bard for an 8 p.m. game.