Playoff berths cap Senior Day action
Men's basketball will defend its Liberty League title after clinching the No. 4 seed
in the upcoming conference tournament.
The Thoroughbreds will face Hobart Wednesday, Feb. 20, in Geneva for a rematch of
last year's championship. Skidmore’s regular season ended last week with the Thoroughbreds
posting a 1-2 record. On Tuesday, the team visited Clarkson and lost to the Golden
Knights in a tight contest, 69-63. Aldin Medunjanin ’16 (New York, N.Y.) had 16 points, eight rebounds and six assists, while Tanner Brooks ’16 (Pikesville, Md.) added 14 points. The weekend boasted a pair of important games including
Friday’s Senior Night, when the Thoroughbreds defeated Vassar College, 67-56. Skidmore's
offense worked on all cylinders, as three players reached double figures. Conner Merrill ’15 (Panton, Vt.) led all scorers with 18 points while collecting six boards. Medunjanin
had a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Brooks also had 16 in the win.
Saturday Skidmore traveled to RPI, losing to the Engineers 73-66. As a result Skidmore
finished tied with Clarkson in the conference standings, but earned the playoff spot
based on a stronger cumulative record against higher-seeded opponents. Sakhile Sithole ’13 (Pietermaritzburg, South Africa) led the charge for the Thoroughbreds with 17 points,
including three from beyond the arc. Eli Johnston ’14 (Brooklyn, N.Y.) had a strong performance, scoring 13 points. Merrill and Medunjanin
scored 12 each.
Ice hockey lost to Castleton State, 5-2, in its only game of the week despite out-shooting the Spartans 28-19. Skidmore finished the regular season with an overall record of 11-12-2 including (8-9-1 in conference play). Thomas Park ’15 (Framingham, Mass.) and Zach Menard ’13 (Burlington, Mass.) each had a goal against Castleton State. Ondrej Krajnak ’16 (Presov, Slovakia) and Brendan Cottam ’13 (Belmont, Mass.) each registered an assist. Freshman goalie Ben Freiberg ’16 (Weston, Mass.) recorded 14 saves. Skidmore clinched the sixth seed in the ECAC playoffs and will travel Saturday, Feb. 23, to Babson College. The Thoroughbreds won both regular-season matchups against Babson, including a 3-0 shutout Feb. 2.
Riding remains undefeated, finishing first of 10 competitors at Saturday's Skidmore show. The Thoroughbreds will look to continue their winning ways March 3 when they travel to Oneonta for the Hartwick College Show.
Women’s basketball clinched third seed in the upcoming Liberty League Tournament despite a 0-3 record last week. Tuesday, the Thoroughbreds fell to Clarkson, 61-55. Angela Botiba ’15 (Douala, Cameroon) had a team-high 13 points on 5-for-11 shooting. Molly McLaughlin ’15 (Westwood, Mass.) and Logan Frederick ’13 (Arlington, Va.) each had eight in the loss. Friday, Skidmore fell to top-seeded Vassar College, 64-57. Botiba again led the Thoroughbreds, as she exploded for 21 points on 10-for-13 shooting (77 percent). Junior guard Jordyn Wartts ’14 (St. Louis, Mo.) posted nine points. Saturday afternoon Skidmore traveled to RPI, where the Engineers squeaked out a 64-61 victory. Botiba again was high scorer with 18 points while collecting six rebounds. Wartts and freshman Dani DeGregory ’16 (Greenwich, N.Y.) each had 11 points.
The Thoroughbreds make their first return to the Liberty League Tournament since 2009-2010 when they square off against St. Lawrence at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 20, at St. Lawrence University. ~ By Sean Farnsworth
