Skidmore (7-4, 2-0 Liberty League) vs. Union (5-5, 1-1 Liberty League)
Game Details: Friday, Jan. 6 | 8 p.m.
Location: Saratoga Springs, N.Y. - Williamson Sports Center
Game Links: Live Stats | Video
Skidmore: Roster | Stats
Union: Roster | Stats

Skidmore (7-4, 2-0 Liberty League) vs. Rensselaer (7-4, 1-1 Liberty League)
Game Details: Saturday, Jan. 7 | 4 p.m.
Location: Saratoga Springs, N.Y. - Williamson Sports Center
Game Links: Live Stats | Video
Skidmore: Roster | Stats
Rensselaer: Roster | Stats
 
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Fresh off a trip from California earlier this week, the Skidmore College men's basketball team returns to Liberty League play this weekend with a pair of home games against Capitol Region foes.
 
The Thoroughbreds will host Union on Friday at 8 p.m., before wrapping up the weekend against Rensselaer on Saturday at 4 p.m.
 
Skidmore (7-4, 2-0 Liberty League) comes into the weekend after winning two out of three games over the past week. Last Friday, the Thoroughbreds opened league play with a 76-55 victory against Vassar. The next day, the Thoroughbreds held off a second-half rally by RIT, beating the Tigers 78-72. On Monday, the team travelled to California, falling to California Santa Cruz 63-47.
 
Statistically, the Thoroughbreds sport the highest field goal percentage in the conference, shooting 49.4 percent. Skidmore also leads the league and is 13th nationally in free throw percentage (78.7 percent).
 
Three players have averaged double-digit scoring this season for the Thoroughbreds. Guard Edvinas Rupkus is third in the league, averaging 20 points per game, and fourth with a 56.6 field goal percentage. The sophomore earned league Performer of the Week honors this past Tuesday, notching two double-doubles: a 15-point, career-high 14-rebound affair against Vassar, and a 26-point, 10-rebound game against RIT.
 
Fellow guard Royce Paris is second on the team and 10th in the league in scoring, averaging 15 points per game. Paris is second in the league with an impressive 57.4 percent clip from the field and is third in steals (1.5). Guard Aldin Medunjanin is right behind Paris in scoring, averaging 14.5 a game, sitting in 12th in the league. Medunjanin leads the league in both assists (6.0) and assist/turnover ratio (3.3). His assist/turnover ratio is among the top 25 players in all of Division III.
 
Union comes into the contest with a 5-5 record overall and a 1-1 mark in league play. The Dutchmen started the league schedule on Friday with a 75-63 loss to St. Lawrence, before defeating Vassar 89-66 the next day.
 
Union is led by the guard tandem of Deshon Burgess and Wade McNamara. Burgess, the 2015-16 Liberty League Player of the Year, is fourth in the league in scoring, averaging 19.1 points per game, and second in the league in rebounding, averaging 8.2. McNamara leads the league with 9.4 caroms per game to go along with his 15.6 points per contest.
 
Last season the Thoroughbreds got the best of Union, sweeping the Dutchmen in the season series 2-0. Skidmore has won the last six contests and seven of the last eight in the all-time series.
 
Rensselaer comes into the weekend with a 7-4 record, splitting the first two games to begin league play. The Engineers defeated RIT 74-70 in the league opener on Friday and fell to St. Lawrence 76-63 the next day in Troy. Rensselaer will host Clarkson on Friday at 8 p.m. before making the trip north to Saratoga Springs.
 
RPI is tops in the league in points allowed, with opponents averaging just 68.3 points per game. The team also leads the league in both assists (17.7) and assist/turnover ratio (1.35).
 
The Engineers are led by Andreas Kontopidis, who leads the team and is sixth in the conference with 17.5 points per game. RPI has four players averaging double-digits in scoring, including Kontopidis, guard Tom Horvat (15.0), guard Jonathan Luster (14.1), and forward Brian Hatcher (12.9). Hatcher is also fifth in the league in rebounding (7.3), while Luster is third in field goal percentage (56.8 percent).
 
Last season the Thoroughbreds and the Engineers split the two games of the season series, with each team winning a road game. Skidmore has a 4-1 advantage over the last five games of the all-time series.