SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Tautvydas Kupstas scored 31 points on a record-breaking nine made 3-pointers, Greg Skoric had 21 points, including a 3-point play to take the lead late, and Riley Greene had a double-double for the Skidmore men's basketball team in an 80-77 win over SUNY Potsdam on Tuesday evening.
 
Skoric accepted a lofted pass from Greene with the score tied at 75 with 34 seconds left and made the layup despite being fouled. Skoric made the ensuing free throw to give the Thoroughbreds a three-point lead. Potsdam got a quick two points on a Tyrese Baptiste layup, two of his team-high 24 points, with 20 seconds left before quickly getting the ball back when Skidmore missed the front end of a 1-and-1.
 
With the potential final possession, the Bears were called for an offensive foul. Kupstas completed his historic night by hitting both free throws to seal it.
 
"Man, that was a really hard-fought win against a really talented and veteran team," Skidmore head coach Joe Burke said. "I'm proud of our guys and how they stayed in the fight. Potsdam is going to win a lot of basketball games and I think that game showed our guys what we are capable of. It also allowed our young guys on the bench to understand the level you have to compete at to get W's in college basketball."
 
Kupstas finished 9-of-17 from 3-point range including a 6-of-10 clip in the second half. He also had a team-high eight rebounds. He broke the Skidmore program record, shared by Dana Martin (2/11/05 vs. RPI) and Jon Douglas (1/12/10 vs. Union), with eight 3-pointers made.
 
Skidmore trailed by 13 after the opening 20 minutes, but Kupstas nailed three consecutive shots from behind the arc to highlight a 21-6 Thoroughbred run to begin the second half. Skidmore got its first lead since the middle stages of the first half after an alley-oop play between Greene and Skoric and a Ty Lamport basket.
 
Skidmore went up by five when Skoric put back a dunk, one of his six offensive boards, with 9:13 left. Potsdam charged back to lead by three with 2:13 left thanks to a MeSean Johnson 3-pointer. The Thoroughbreds got the game's next five points on a bucket from Lamport and a three by Greene to lead 75-73. Brandon Segar Jr. made a layup to knot the game at 75.
 
Skidmore shot 58.1 percent from the field in the second half after a slow start. The Thoroughbreds finished 8-of-16 in 3-point shooting over the final 20 minutes. Potsdam was 19-of-31 (61.3 percent) from the field in the first half before cooling off slightly to finish the contest at 50.8 percent. Baptiste finished with a double-double for the Bears with 24 points and 10 rebounds.
 
"Special thanks to the Saratoga Recreation community for coming out tonight," Burke continued. "We have a great partnership with them and appreciate all their support."
 
The Thoroughbreds will play their first road contest of the season on Friday, Nov. 19 at 7:30 p.m. at Plattsburgh State.