SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Despite a game-high 26 points from Edvinas Rupkus, the Skidmore College men's basketball team fell on Senior Day to RIT by a 69-61 score, in Liberty League action at the Williamson Sports Center Saturday afternoon.
 
The Thoroughbreds (11-11, 7-9 Liberty League) drop its third straight game but are still within shot of a league playoff berth, sitting in a three-way tie for fifth place. RIT (12-11, 10-6 Liberty League) clinches a postseason berth with the win, sitting in a tie for second place in the league standings.
 
Before the contest, the Thoroughbreds honored its four seniors, guards Benny Louchheim and Jack Morrow, and forwards Martin Bedulskij and Marcus Jackson.
 
Rupkus tallied a game-high 26 points on 11-for-22 shooting from the field, adding seven rebounds. Noah Meren added 17 points, nine rebounds, and four assists coming off the bench. The Thoroughbreds shot 35.3 percent from the field in the game, and blocked a season-high eight shots.
 
Anthony Lewis led RIT with 22 points and six rebounds. Robert Aguilera added 15 points, nine rebounds, and three blocked shots. The Tigers shot 37.7 percent in the game and 26.1 percent from beyond the arc.
 
With a capacity crowd on hand for the annual 'Big Green Scream' festivities, Skidmore got the game to a good start with consecutive baskets by Louchheim and Rupkus. The Tigers would claw back to tie things, with the lead changing hands throughout the game's first 10 minutes. After Meren tied the game at 13 with his second free throw, RIT slowly pulled ahead to double digits with a 13-3 run, taking a 26-16 lead at the 6:11 mark. The Thoroughbreds would get four straight points to cut the lead to six, but RIT would convert on free throws to take a 33-22 halftime lead.
 
The Tigers would stretch the lead to as many as 17 points, before Skidmore made its final push. Rupkus hit a 3-pointer with 1:14 remaining to bring the deficit down to nine, at 62-53. RIT would convert on both free throws after getting fouled, before Skidmore came back down with a pair of Meren free throws. The Tigers missed on a pair of free throws in the final minute, but Skidmore wasn't able to convert on the other end, as the Tigers eventually took the eight-point win.

"I want to thank this group of seniors for everything they have given me and this program," said Skidmore coach Joe Burke. "This has been a difficult season for us as we have had to overcome many obstacles.

"I feel terrible that it has not gone as smooth as they had hoped.  However, they will look back on outstanding careers and more importantly they took this program to new heights. They have so much to be proud of and they will graduate having raised more banners then any class before them."  

Skidmore heads north to end the regular season, taking on Clarkson on Friday at 8 p.m., and St. Lawrence in the regular season finale on Saturday at 4 p.m.