GENEVA, N.Y.—Fifth-seeded Skidmore College scored the final four points of the contest to slip past top-seeded Hobart College 63-60 in the semifinals of the Liberty League Men's Basketball Tournament this afternoon. The Thoroughbreds advance to the league championship game to face second-seeded Union, an 84-64 winner over No. 3 RIT.
 
The third meeting between the Thoroughbreds and Statesmen featured 12 ties and 12 lead changes and went right down to the wire. Senior Luke Ruddy gave Hobart a 60-59 lead on a layup with about 30 seconds to go. With under 19 seconds left, junior Edvinus Rupkus made a layup to swing the lead back to the Thoroughbreds (15-11).
 
The Statesmen attacked the basket on their next possession, but turned the ball over, forcing them to foul with six seconds left. Junior Jack Byrne made both free throws to stretch the visitors' lead to three. Hobart got off a 3-pointer ahead of the final buzzer, but the shot hit the iron and bounded away from its intended target.
 
The loss leaves the Statesmen (21-5) in limbo until Monday. The No. 1 ranked team in the East at the start of the week, Hobart must hope for one of 21 at large bids into the field of 64.
 
Rupkus and first-year Noah Meren led Skidmore with 16 points apiece. Meren also collected a team-high 13 rebounds. Junior Chase Ta added seven points, a game-high nine assists and four steals.
 
Junior Colin Dougherty and sophomore Tucker Lescoe paced the Statesmen with 11 points each. Dougherty also grabbed a game and career-high 15 rebounds for his second career double-double. Junior Jamal Lucas contributed 10 points and eight rebounds.
 
Hobart shot just .265 from the floor in the first half and finished with a season-low .323 shooting percentage. The Statesmen made six 3-pointers on the day, raising their season total to 225, just two off the Hobart record. Lescoe led the long-range efforts with three, upping his season sum to 70, nine shy of the Hobart season record.
 
The Statesmen committed two more turnovers than the Thoroughbreds, but had a 17-13 advantage in points off turnovers. Behind a 42-34 rebounding edge, Hobart also had the upper hand in second chance points, 14-2.
 
Skidmore shot .389 from the floor, making five 3-pointers. The Thoroughbreds' bench outscored the Statesmen reserves 19-12.
 
A close game throughout, Skidmore enjoyed the largest lead of the contest, taking a 12-5 lead on a 3-pointer by Ta six minutes into the game. Hobart rallied to briefly take the lead with about two minutes to go in the opening half, but Meren made the final bucket of the session a minute later, knotting the game at 26 going into the break.
 
Hobart seized its biggest advantage of the day early in the second half. An 8-2 run that including a pair of 3-pointers by Sam Allen gave the home team a 34-28 lead. Meren made a pair of free throws about a minute later, closing the gap to four and from that point on, neither side led by more than four.