SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – A late Union run was too much for the Skidmore College men's basketball team as they were unable to complete the season sweep, falling 78-67 in Liberty League action at the Viniar Center Friday evening.
 
Skidmore (9-7, 5-5 Liberty League) has dropped its last four games to fall to fifth place in the league standings. The Thoroughbreds finish the season series against the Dutchmen with a split, after defeating Union 94-83 in overtime in Saratoga Springs Jan. 6. Union (10-6, 6-4 Liberty League) moves up to third in the standings with the victory.
 
The Thoroughbreds fought back from a second half double-digit deficit, taking a 45-44 lead on a Jordan Cole 3-pointer at the 14:33 mark. The Dutchmen would go on a 12-2 run, taking a 56-47 lead, before Skidmore whittled it down to three, at 58-55, on a pair of Jack Byrne free throws with 9:55 to go in regulation. Union would stretch the advantage again over the next 3:05, getting a double-digit lead, a lead they would hold for the rest of the way.
 
Chase Ta led the Thoroughbreds in scoring with a season-high 19 points on 8-for-15 shooting from the field, adding six assists and three steals. Edvinas Rupkus tallied 13 second-half points to finish with 15 in the game, adding four rebounds and three steals. Dakpe Yiljep added 14 points and seven rebounds, while Byrne chipped in eight points and a team-high eight rebounds, adding three steals. Skidmore shot 36.4 percent from the field in the game.
 
Kevin Weckworth led all scorers with 25 points, while Greg King tallied a 14-point, 12 rebound double-double. Union out-rebounded Skidmore by a 46-38 margin.

"We need to continue to battle," said head coach Joe Burke. "We did some good things tonight and some new guys stepped up but we need to do it for 40 minutes, no matter who is on the floor. Tomorrow is another opportunity for us to get tougher."
 
The Thoroughbreds finish the seven-game road trip in Troy, taking on RPI Saturday at 4 p.m.