SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The Skidmore College men's basketball team are in the Liberty League playoffs for the eighth season in a row. The journey to a potential fifth league title begins on Tuesday, as the fifth-seeded Thoroughbreds travel to fourth-seeded Ithaca for an 8 p.m. contest.
 
Admission to the contest in Ithaca is free. For those unable to make the trip, cheer on the Thoroughbreds through the live stats and video links.
 
The Thoroughbreds (13-11, 9-9 Liberty League) moved into fifth place in the final league standings after a weekend sweep against a pair of North Country foes. Skidmore bounced back on Friday with an 80-67 victory of Clarkson, clinching a playoff berth with an 88-62 win against St. Lawrence in the regular season finale on Saturday.
 
The Thoroughbreds saw great contributions from the bench unit in both victories, combining for 92 points over the weekend. Junior Dakpe Yiljep led the non-starters with 26.5 points per game, shooting an incredible 74 percent (17-of-23) from the field, 85 percent (6-for-7) from 3-point range, and 81 percent (13-of-16) from the free throw line. He added 4.5 rebounds to earn his second Liberty League Performer of the Week nod of the season on Monday. Junior Jack Byrne added 13.5 points per game off the bench, shooting 53.8 percent (7-for-13) from 3-point range, adding 4.0 rebounds. Of the starters, freshman Noah Meren tallied 18 points in the Friday win at Clarkson, while junior Edvinas Rupkus added 21 points, six rebounds, and seven assists in the Saturday victory at St. Lawrence.
 
"I was pleased with our chemistry and flow this past weekend," said head coach Joe Burke. "It's been a while since we had that many guys together on the court, so it feels like we're establishing a little bit of rhythm at the right time. Now, we have a great challenge ahead of us because we have to do this more on the road. We are in a pretty good space, and I'm pleased about it."
 
Skidmore finished the season as the fourth-leading scoring team in the league, averaging 76.3 points per game. Skidmore has also shot the ball well, finishing third in field goal percentage (43.9%) and free throw perentage (73.6%). On the defensive end, the Thoroughbreds have done a solid job defending the arc, allowing just 30.9 percent from 3-point range. Individually, Rupkus ended the regular season as the league's leading scorer at 21.8 points per game. He also finished third in field goal percentage, shooting 49.3 percent. Junior Chase Ta finished second in the league with 4.4 assists per game, leading the league in assist/turnover ratio (2.0).
 
Ithaca (15-10, 10-8 Liberty League) comes in as the fourth seed in the league tournament, after splitting the weekend contests. Ithaca defeated Bard 85-63 on Friday, before falling to Vassar in the regular season finale by a 66-54 score.
 
The Bombers are second in the league in scoring, averaging 77.8 points per game. They also finished second in steals (7.56), and third in blocked shots (3.64) and assists (14.6). Individually, Ithaca is led by Riley Thompson, averaging 13.6 points per game. He is the team's top threat from beyond the arc, hitting the 3-pointer at a .421 clip. Marc Chasin is right behind, averaging 13.4 points. He leads the team in assists (3.7) and field goals made (12.3).
 
"Ithaca is an athletic team with good team speed," said Burke. "They can stretch you out a bit, and they're talented. We have to be the best version of us to come out with a win. That's the risk of playing on the road in these situations; if you are off by just a little bit, these teams can get you."
 
The two teams have split the season series, with each team winning on its home court. Ithaca took the 84-71 victory on Jan. 20 and Skidmore responded with an 80-59 win on Feb. 2. This is the first time the two teams have met in the postseason, and the first time that Skidmore is the lower seed in a postseason contest since 2014, when the team traveled to Vassar for the league semifinals.
 
"When you get to the postseason, you're just so locked into the game plan that we don't have time to worry about seeding," added Burke. "I got a great text from a coaching colleague of mine saying, 'All you want is a seat at the table.' We got that seat and it's up to us to take care of business."