SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY — The RIT (12-11, 10-6 Liberty League) men's basketball team clinched a spot in the Liberty League Tournament with a 69-61 win at Skidmore College (11-11, 7-9 Liberty League) Saturday afternoon. The Tigers, who have won four straight games, beat the Thoroughbreds for the first time since the 2015-16 season.

RIT shot 37.7 percent from the floor on 20-of-53 shooting. The Tigers made 6-of-23 from the floor, and went 23-of-34 from the foul line. Anthony Lewis (Rochester, NY/Churchville-Chili) led the Tigers with 22 points and six rebounds. Robert Aguilera (Webster, NY/Webster Thomas) tallied 15 points, grabbed nine rebounds and had three blocks. 

Edvinus Rupkus led Skidmore with 26 points and seven rebounds. Noah Meren talked 17 points and had nine rebounds for the Thoroughbreds, who shot 35.3 percent from the floor.

RIT led throughout most of the first half, leading 33-22 at the break. Skidmore took an early four-point lead on a bucket by Rupkus 1:59 into the game. Lewis gave RIT its first lead on his jumper at the 15:17 mark of the half. 

Tied 15-15 midway through the half, RIT outscored the Thoroughbreds 18-7 over the final 9:45. Charles Okehie (Owings Mills, MD/McDonogh) gave the Tigers their largest of the half to that point with his tip-in with 6:11 to play making the score 26-16 RIT. Wyatt Smith (Rochester, NY/Irondequoit) converted one-of-two free throws late in the half to extend the RIT lead to 11 points. Lewis led RIT with 10 first-half points.

Lewis extended the RIT lead to 41-28 with his bucket 2:39 into the second half. Troy Pierre-Louis (Providence, RI/Berkshire School) gave the Tigers their largest lead of the game with his three-pointer with 11:40 to play.

Meren got the Thoroughbreds to within eight points with his bucket with 31 seconds to play in regulation. Aguilera, Jaymee Rosser (Newark, NY/Newark) and Chase Lewis (Ewing, NJ/Princeton Day School) sealed the win with clutch free throws down the stretch for the Tigers.

RIT has a chance next weekend to move up to second place in the conference standings. The top two in the Liberty League standings receive a bye into the semifinals. The Tigers return to action on Friday, Feb. 16 when RIT hosts Union College at 8 p.m. on the floor of Clark Gymnasium.