Box Score | RPI Athletics on YouTube

TROY, N.Y. - The Skidmore College women's basketball team put three players in double figures and the Thoroughbreds outscored Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) by 17 points in the final three quarters on their way to defeating the Engineers 55-47 in a Liberty League contest at East Campus Arena. Skidmore is now 3-8 overall and 2-2 in the conference, while RPI falls to 6-4 and 1-2.

Rensselaer scored the first nine points of the game with Elizabeth Eckhardt tallying the first five and LaKissa Martin the next four. Following a Haley English three-pointer, Martin hit for two more for an 11-3 lead with 2:47 to play in the opening frame. The visitors pulled to within six points, but a three-pointer by Brielle Sharry gave RPI a nine-point lead, 14-5, at the end of the first quarter. 

Skidmore chipped away in the second and got to within two points, 15-13, on a Sydney Tsutsui basket from behind the arc just 1:09 in. Rensselaer maintained its lead until the 3:34 mark, when English made another three-pointer to give the Thoroughbreds a 20-19 edge. A triple by Caroline Merguerian made it a four-point game, but Martin and Courtney Lewis both sunk baskets to tie the score at 23-23. Both teams scored again and things were tied at 25-25 at halftime. 

It remained a one possession contest until 6:11 of the third quarter when a three-pointer from Jessica Centore put Skidmore ahead by six points, 33-27. Eckhardt answered with a field goal, but the Thoroughbreds eventually built a seven-point lead (36-29). Sharry again hit a late jumper, which pulled Rensselaer to within three points (36-33) heading into the fourth quarter.

Sharry opened the fourth quarter with another jumper and Lewis followed with a basket and a free throw for a 38-36 lead, but the Thoroughbreds gained control with a 19-9 run in the final eight minutes. Taylor Ong had seven points in that span for Skidmore, which made 7 of 11 shots (63.6%) in the frame. RPI made 27.3% (6 of 22) of its shots in the final 10 minutes in which it was outscored 19-14.

Centore, who had four points in the last eight minutes, finished with 13 points, along with nine rebounds and four assists. Ong had 10 points and seven rebounds, while English managed a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds. 

Eckhardt and Martin both had a dozen points for the Engineers, who lost for the first time on its home floor (4-1). Martin also had 10 rebounds, which was second on the team to Ines Ortea's 12. Ortea also scored eight points for Rensselaer, which hosts RIT on Saturday at 2pm. Skidmore travels to Union College on Saturday (2pm). Both games are conference contests.