SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Kate McCarney scored a career-high 23 points and had five assists to lead the Skidmore College women's basketball team to a 62-57 win over Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in a Liberty League game on Friday night.
 
The Thoroughbreds improve to 4-14 and 2-9 in Liberty League play, while the loss drops the Engineers out of first place with a 12-6 overall and 8-3 league record.  
 
McCarney played all 40 minutes and went 7-8 from the free throw line, including 5-6 in the fourth quarter. Jessica Centore added 12 points, four rebounds, and two steals. Lilly Berg dominated in the paint with a season high 13 rebounds to go along with seven points and two blocks.
 
Celia Tomlinson led the Engineers with a double-double of 16 points and 11 rebounds. She also had two blocks and two steals. Sam Krumbhaar and Courtney Lewis both added 10 points, while Brielle Sharry had 12 points and eight rebounds.
 
The Thoroughbreds outscored the Engineers 27- 23 in the first half.  Skidmore came out strong with a 13-2 scoring run at the beginning of the second quarter. The Thoroughbreds had a solid 27-16 lead with 34 seconds left in the first half after a good jumper by Toyin Koleoso. However, the Engineers quickly rallied in the last 20 seconds to go into the half trailing by four, 27-23.
 
The Engineers battled back in the third quarter gaining a 33-32 lead with 3:18 left in the quarter. However, a good jumper by Centore followed by a layup by Maddie Hastings put Skidmore back on top 36-35 going into the fourth quarter.
 
Skidmore stayed resilient in the fourth, outscoring RPI 26-22. The Thoroughbreds gained their biggest lead, 54-45, off of four made free throws by McCarney and Centore with 1:20 left in the game.
 
Skidmore hit 16 of 20 (80%) free throws in the fourth quarter.
 
The Thoroughbreds return to the Williamson Center tomorrow to face Liberty League opponent Ithaca College at 2 p.m.