SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The Skidmore College women's basketball team returns to action after the month-long break, taking a short trip to face its Liberty League Capital Region foes in RPI and Union this weekend.
 
The Thoroughbreds ring in the new year with a Friday matchup at RPI at 5 p.m., then ends the weekend with a visit to Union on Saturday at 2 p.m.
 
Skidmore (2-8, 1-2 Liberty League) is currently tied for seventh in the league standings after three games played, holding the tiebreaker over Clarkson after a 74-52 victory on Dec. 1. The Thoroughbreds fell to Vassar in its last game before the break.
 
Coming into the new year, the Thoroughbreds have been stingy defending the arc, with opponents shooting just .243 from 3-point range, a mark which leads the league. Individually, the Thoroughbreds are led by the trio of junior guard Jessica Centore, senior guard Haley English, and sophomore guard Sydney Tsutsui. Centore leads the team in scoring at 8.8 points per game. She also leads in shooting percentage from the field (.411), steals (2.7 per game), and blocked shots (six total). English is right behind at 8.6 points per game and leads the team in assists per game (2.9) and free throw percentage (.760). Tsutsui is third in scoring at 8.4 points per game and she leads the team in 3-point shooting percentage (.389). Junior center Lily Berg leads the team in rebounding with 6.2 caroms per game.
 
RPI comes into the weekend with a 6-3 overall record, splitting its first two Liberty League contests this season. The Engineers lead the league in 3-point shooting percentage, hoisting it up at a .331 clip. RPI is led by three double-digit scorers this season. Ines Ortea leads the team in scoring at 15.2 points per game, and she's tied for the league lead in rebounds (7.0 per game) and steals (17 total). She's also the team's best shooter at 41.5 percent from the field. Elizabeth Eckhardt is right behind at 15.0 points per game and she is RPI's leading 3-point shooter at 38.4 percent. LaKissa Martin rounds out the double-digit scoring at 13.1 points per game.
 
Last season, Skidmore swept the series against the Engineers, including a dramatic 76-71 overtime game in Troy on Jan. 27, 2018. In that game, senior forward Taylor Ong drove in for a game-tying layup with 4.8 seconds left in regulation to force overtime, before the Thoroughbreds prevailed in the extra session.
 
Union (6-2, 1-1 Liberty League) enters 2019 having won five of its last six games to close out the previous calendar year. The Dutchwomen have the league's second-best scoring margin at 9.5 points and leads in points allowed per game (50.5) and opponent's shooting percentage (.310). Individually, they're led by Nicole Conley, who's one of the league's leading scorers at 17.9 points per game. She leads the league with an impressive 3.9 blocked shots per game and is second with 10.6 rebounds per game. Sophie Borg (7.7 points per game) and Elly Vaughn (7.3 points per game) round out the top three scorers.
 
Skidmore swept the season series with Union last season and have won the last five games between the two teams.