Box Score TROY, N.Y. –  Connor Merrill led four players in double-digits for Skidmore with a game-high 19 points, leading the Thoroughbreds to an 82-49 win over Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Liberty League men's basketball action on Saturday evening at East Campus Arena.
 
The Engineers were averaging 89.5 points per game going into the contest, but failed to reach 50 against a tough Thoroughbred defense.
 
With the win and weekend sweep, Skidmore moves into playoff contention with a 12-7 overall and 6-4 league record. The Engineers drop to 7-11 overall with a 5-5 mark in conference play.

Skidmore got a breakaway dunk from Merrill at 16:53 and never looked back, using an  8-0 run for Skidmore that put the Thoroughbreds up 11-3. It was a half of big runs for Skidmore, which led the Engineers 43-22 at the break after Erik Sanders (New York, NY / Bloomfield College) converted a layup with one second on the clock.

Skidmore controlled the second half as well, with Rensselaer only getting as close as 72-43 at 4:44 on a Nick Keefe (Rensselaer, NY / Columbia) 3-pointer.
 
Rensselaer shot 24.7 percent (19-of-77) from the field and was outrebounded by the Thoroughbreds, 57-43.

Merrill (Panton, VT / Vermont Academy) added five boards for Skidmore, while Sanders recorded a double-double of 17 points and a game-high 15 rebounds. Tanner Brooks (Pikesville, MD / St. Paul's) also recorded 17 points, while adding nine caroms, seven assists, and three steals. The final player in double-digit scoring for the Thoroughbreds was Perun Kovacevic (Forest Hills, NY / Iona College), who totaled 15, along with eight rebounds. Skidmore shot 41.9 percent (26-of-62) from the field. 

"I'm Really pleased with our defense this weekend," said Skidmore coach Joe Burke. "We spent a heck of a lot of time this week on it and I thought it showed.

"Any time we are talking, flying around and competing on the defense end if the floor I really believe we can compete with anyone in the country."

Skidmore will host Clarkson on Tuesday at 8 p.m.