Liberty League Semifinals
No. 1 Skidmore (19-6, 12-2 Liberty) vs. No. 4 Hobart (15-10, 10-6 Liberty)
Game Details: Wednesday, Feb. 22 | 8 p.m.
Location: Saratoga Springs, N.Y. – Williamson Sports Center
Preview Video: Liberty League Preview
Game Links: Stats | Video
Skidmore: Roster | Stats
Hobart: Roster | Stats
 
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Liberty League postseason play begins for the top seeded Skidmore College men's basketball team, who will take on fourth seeded Hobart in the Liberty League Semifinals at the Williamson Sports Center on Wednesday, Feb. 22. Tip off for the semifinal game will begin at approximately 8 p.m.
 
Skidmore and Hobart will meet for the third time this season and the fourth time in postseason history. The Statesmen hold a 2-1 advantage in the postseason, but the Thoroughbreds have won both games this season, a narrow 70-69 victory in Geneva and an 87-83 win in Saratoga Springs. The teams have combined to win the last six Liberty League championships.
 
Skidmore (19-6, 14-2 Liberty) has earned a playoff berth for the seventh straight year, after racing to a program best 14-2 record. The Thoroughbreds wrapped up the No. 1 seed this past weekend, first defeating St. Lawrence 87-80 in Canton, N.Y. on Friday, then routing Clarkson 93-78 on Sunday in Saratoga Springs.
 
Skidmore sports one of the most efficient offenses in the country. The Thoroughbreds lead the league and are 30th nationally in shooting percentage, shooting 48.4 percent from the field. They are also one of the best teams at the charity stripe, shooting 79.5 percent from the free throw line as a team, the fourth best mark in the nation.
 
The Thoroughbreds have three players averaging double figures, led by sophomore Edvinas Rupkus. Rupkus is second in the conference with 20.9 points per game, and has scored 30 points or more in the last three games. He scored a school record 42 points on Friday against St. Lawrence, and became the first sophomore to reach the 1,000-point plateau after scoring 30 points in the regular season finale against Clarkson. He earned Liberty League Performer of the Week honors on Monday and was named to the d3hoops.com Team of the Week on Tuesday. Aldin Medunjanin is second on the team and ninth in the conference, averaging 16.1 points per game. He also leads the league with 5.6 assists per game and sports the best assist-to-turnover ratio (2.5). Royce Paris is third on the team, averaging 13.3 points per game, and leads the team with a .433 clip from beyond the arc. Jack Morrow (39.7%) and Jack Byrne (38.4%) are also solid shooters from 3-point range.
 
Hobart (15-10, 10-6 Liberty) is one of the conference's stingiest defenses. The Statesmen leads the league in defensive field goal percentage (.409) and 3-point field goal defense (.300) and is second in scoring defense (68.9 ppg). Hobart is led by the backcourt trio of sophomores Colin Dougherty and Jamal Lucas and freshman Tucker Lescoe. Dougherty is eighth in the league in scoring (16.6 ppg). Lescoe and Lucas are 18th and 19th, producing 12.4 ppg and 12.3 ppg, respectively. Dougherty and Lucas share the team lead in rebounding (4.6 rpg).
 
In the second semifinal, No. 3 Union is headed to face No. 2 St. Lawrence in Canton, N.Y. at 7 p.m. The winner of both games will play in the Liberty League Championship game on Saturday, Feb. 25, at the highest remaining seed.