BABSON PARK, Mass.---  The Thoroughbreds gave it everything they had, but in the end the shots fell for #3 Babson and the Beavers advanced to the NCAA men's basketball Round of 16 with a 72-65 win over Skidmore Saturday night at Staake Gymnasium.
 
Skidmore ends the season at 20-8. The 20 wins ties a program record. Babson is 27-2 and will play Tufts in the next round.
 
In the game, Edvinas Rupkus set the Skidmore season scoring record with a first half jumper. He finished with 580 points, breaking the old mark of 566 set in 2000 by Brian Culkin.
 
Rupkis and Jack Morrow scored 18 points each to lead the Thoroughbreds. Morrow hit five threes and chipped in eight rebounds. Aldin Medunjanin had a game-high 10 assists to compliment four blocks, three steals, six rebounds and five points.
 
Joey Flannery led four Babson players in double figures with 25 points, 18 in the first half. Nick Commenale scored 16 points, while Charlie Rice had 12 and Isaiah Nelson 11.
 
Skidmore took an early eight point lead 14-6 at 14:50 behind three Jack Morrow three-pointers. The Beavers quickly closed the game, leaving it a two-possession game until Rice hit a long three at the buzzer for a 36-29 Babson lead at the half.
 
The second half played the same way. There were four lead changes and neither team could extend the lead more than five points, until Rupkus hit a pair of free throws at 5:57 to give Skidmore a 62-55 lead.
 
Babson went on an 11-0 run to go up 66-62 before Rupkus hit a clutch three to cut it to 66-65 with 1:20 left. But Nelson responded with a three on the next Beaver possession and Babson it five of six throws to close out the 72-65 win.
 
"That was a heck of a game between two really good teams," said Skidmore coach Joe Burke. "We certainly were right there but Babson made a couple more plays at the end.

"I'm so proud of this group," said Skidmore coach Joe Burke. "The amount of adversity we have dealt with and to pull off a season like this is remarkable. The loss is difficult to swallow because this game could have gone either way. I am sure when the dust settles we will appreciate all that we accomplished."
 
There were 11 lead changes and five ties in the back and forth contest. Babson dominated in the paint, outscoring Skidmore 30-12, with 14 second chance points. The Beavers scored 22 points off 12 Skidmore turnovers. The Thoroughbred bench outscored Babson 14-5.
 
Skidmore was 21-61 from the floor (34.4%) and 14-36 (38.9% from three-point range. Babson tossed up 72 shots, finishing 27-72 (37.5%) from the floor and 9-29 (31%) from beyond the arc.