Men's basketball assumes sole possession of top spot in Liberty League

Men’s basketball highlighted the week for Skidmore winter sports, taking over sole possession of first in the Liberty League standings with two conference wins. Women’s basketball responded from its first conference loss of the season with a blowout win, while ice hockey pushed two top-10 opponents to the limit. Swimming and diving continued to tune up for the UNYSCA Championships with its final two home meets of the season.

Aldin Medunjanin ’16 became men’s basketball’s 16th 1,000-point scorer with 21 points in the team’s 62-48 victory Friday at Vassar. He scored 11 of the team’s first 19 points as the Thoroughbreds pulled ahead with a 19-2 lead and never looked back. Erik Sanders ’16 had 18 points and eight rebounds and Martin Bedulskij ’18 added nine points and five boards. The team improved to 8-1 in Liberty League play with a 61-39 win Saturday at Bard, holding the Raptors to 24.5 percent (12-49) shooting in the contest. Sanders tallied a season-high 24 points, shooting 61.5 percent (8-13) from the floor and going 7 for 8 from the free-throw line. Connor Merrill ’15 chipped in 11 points, eight rebounds and three blocks and Royce Paris ’17 had 12 points and four rebounds off the bench. The team goes back on the road this weekend, taking on Hobart at 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 6, before facing RIT at 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 7.

Women’s basketball bounced back from Friday’s 61-40 defeat at Vassar on with an 80-49 blowout Saturday at Bard. Angela Botiba ’15 recorded her ninth double-double of the season against the Brewers, leading the team with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Migle Vilunaite ’17 poured in a career-high 22 points to go along with 10 rebounds against the Raptors and Lindsey Davis ’16 added a career-high 19 points in the win. Vilunaite shot 66.7 percent (8-12) for the game, including 71.4 percent (5-7) in the second half, while Davis was a perfect 8 for 8 from the free throw line. The team started the game on a 19-4 run and never relinquished the lead, limiting Bard to 27.7 percent (18-65) shooting. The Thoroughbreds (12-6, 8-1 Liberty League), currently second in the Liberty League standings, travel to William Smith Friday, Feb. 6, for a 6 p.m. contest before playing at 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 7, at RIT.

Ice hockey battled two top-10 opponents, suffering close losses to No. 9 UMass Boston and No. 7 Babson. Anthony Bird ’17 gave the team a 1-0 lead just 35 seconds into the game against the Beacons, but UMass Boston responded with three unanswered goals to earn the 3-1 win. The team fell behind 3-0 against the Beavers, but cut the deficit to 3-2 with second-period goals from Sam Hudziak ’18 and Bird. Hudziak got the Thoroughbreds on the board with his first collegiate goal and Bird brought the team within one with a short-handed goal at 17:41. The team pressed late in the third period, but Babson managed to seal the win with an empty net goal with 45 seconds remaining in regulation. Jack McDonald ’17 turned away 24 shots after making 37 saves against the Beacons. The team continues on its final playoff push this weekend with a pair of conference road games, squaring off with Saint Michael’s at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 6, and tangling with No. 1 Norwich at 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 7.

Men’s and women’s swimming and diving hosted their final dual meet of the season with Hamilton on Friday before hosting the Skidmore Sprint Invite on Saturday. Catherine King ’15 racked up two wins against the Continentals to lead the women’s team, touching first in the 50 Free and teaming with Yookee Roh ’16, Erin Donovan ’17 and Kate Lambos ’15 for first in the 200 Free Relay.

King and Roh paced the women’s team at the Skidmore Sprint Invite, winning the 50 Free and the 100 Free, respectively. King also added a third-place finish in the 200 Free, while Roh was third in the 100 Fly. The team of King, Donovan, Lambos and Monica Abdul-Chani ’17 had a strong outing, touching second in the 200 Free Relay. The Thoroughbreds finished third overall of five teams.

Nick Sauerbrunn ’15 and diver Jacob Nathan ’15 were the top performers for the men’s team against Hamilton, as Sauerbrunn won the 100 Breast and placed second in 1650 Free, while Nathan captured first in the 3-meter diving event with an NCAA-qualifying score of 286.80.

Mario Hyman ’16 was a triple winner at the Skidmore Sprint Invite, helping the team place second of four with wins in the 100 Free and the 100 IM and the 200 Free Relay with help from teammates Ramzy Kahhale ’15, Charlie Bullis ’16 and Gabriel Salitan-Alvarez ’17. Sauerbrunn and Salitan-Alvarez finished 1-2 in the 500 Free and 2-3 in the 200 Free, while Nathan contributed two wins on the day, placing first in both the 1-meter and 3-meter diving events.

Both teams compete at the UNYSCA Championships Feb. 18-21 in Rochester, N.Y. ~ By Dan St.-Jacques