Riding team perfect in weekend competition

Riding started the semester with a perfect outing Saturday at the Skidmore Riding Show. Open over fences riders Wendy Collins ’17, Ursala Green ’16, and Jasmine Lai ’14 all won their respective sections of the division. Jillian Shapiro ’17 and Jessica Singer ’16 both placed first in their respective sections of intermediate over fences, while Abbie Gibson ’16, who won the high point rider away, and Rebecca McCourt ’14 finished first in novice over fences. McCourt also won her section of intermediate flat. The team hosts another show starting at 9 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 22, at the Van Lennep Riding Center.

Men’s tennis opened its spring schedule with a 9-0 win against Union College. The Thoroughbreds did not drop a set in the win. The number-one doubles team of Jimmy Sherpa ’14 and Nick Tong ’16 played the day's closest match with an 8-5 win over T. J. Moor and Grant Zaccaro. Sherpa came back for a 6-3, 6-3 win over Zaccaro at number-two singles. Oliver Loutsenko ’14 won 6-3, 6-3 over Moor at number-one singles and was 8-1 at number-two doubles with Danny Knight ’14. The team hosts NYU at 9 a.m. Saturday, March 1, at the Wilton YMCA.

Men’s basketball went 2-1, notching wins against St. Lawrence University and Bard College, but falling at Vassar College. The team improved to 15-8 (9-5 Liberty League) and is second in the Liberty League standings. Aldin Medunjanin ’16 scored 11 of his 16 points in the second half to help the team rally to a 52-50 win at St. Lawrence. Tanner Brooks ’16 knocked down a three-pointer in the final minute of regulation to bring the Thoroughbreds within one against Vassar, but the Brewers managed to hold on for a 71-67 win. Skidmore outscored Bard 15-4 in the final six minutes of the contest to pull away victorious, 65-52. Erik Sanders ’16 scored a team-high 16 points and added eight rebounds, Connor Merrill ’15 tallied 15 points on 7-of-10 shooting to go along with eight boards and Medunjanin chipped in 12 points, five rebounds, four assists, and five steals. The Thoroughbreds make the short trip to Union College Friday, Feb. 21, before hosting RIT at 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 22, in the final regular-season contest for both teams.

Women’s basketball battled top of the conference’s top teams, dropping contests at St. Lawrence University and Vassar before cruising to a win against Bard College. Angela Botiba ’15 scored a team-high 21 points and added 15 rebounds in a 63-58 loss against the league-leading Saints. The team outscored Vassar 43-28 in the second half, erasing a 17-point deficit to force overtime, but the Brewers managed to pull away in the extra frame. Botiba tallied 18 points along with a game-high 16 rebounds and Ella Scheuerell ’16 produced eight points and 11 boards. The Thoroughbreds used a 20-8 second half run to cruise to a 62-50 win against Bard. Jordyn Wartts ’14 had 12 points, six assists, five rebounds, and four steals; Lindsey Davis ’15 scored 12 points, and Molly McLaughlin contributed eight points and seven assists. The team takes on regional rival Union College at 6 p.m. Friday, Feb. 21, and hosts RIT on Senior Day Saturday, at 2 p.m. Feb. 22.

Men’s hockey ended the regular season with a 4-0 setback at Castleton State College, finishing eighth in the ECAC East. The team will travel to top seed Norwich University for an ECAC East quarterfinal game 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 22. Jack McDonald ’17 and Ben Freiberg ’16 split time in goal for the Thoroughbreds. McDonald turned away 27 shots in 47 minutes of play and Freiberg made four saves in the game’s final 13 minutes.  ~ By Dan St. Jacques