Big Green Scream to decide Liberty League Regular Season Champion
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The Skidmore College men’s and women’s basketball teams wrap up the regular season in a big way, with the 11th edition of the Big Green Scream on Feb. 16.
The women will begin at 2 p.m., while the men will play at 4 p.m. Both teams will play St. Lawrence University. The men’s game will decide the league’s regular-season champion and host for the Liberty League championship tournament.
On Friday, Skidmore will face Clarkson in a doubleheader, beginning with the women’s game at 5 p.m.
Free Big Green Scream t-shirts will be given out to the first 250 fans at each game. There will be other in-game contests and prizes, including a Smart TV giveaway. Musical performances will
take place throughout the afternoon by Ujima, Rithmos, RAICES, and Pulse.
The day will also feature Senior Day for both teams. The women will honor Kayla Mitchell, Taylor Ong, and Haley English, while the men will pay tribute to Dakpe Yiljep, Edvinas Rupkus, Jack Byrne, Chase Ta, and Charlie Williams.
The Recyclemania challenge returns to Skidmore, and Sustainable Skidmore is looking to make the Big Green Scream a zero-waste basketball game. Remember to recycle and compost at the event, as Skidmore competes in the national challenge once again.
After the game, there is a free winter carnival in the dance studio gymnasium, from 5:30 – 8 p.m. There will be food, games, and prizes provided. The event is hosted by the Student Government Association’s First Year Class Council.
The basketball should be pretty interesting as well. The men (15-7, 13-3 Liberty League) are locked in a dead heat with St. Lawrence (16-7, 13-3) for the regular season title. Regardless of what happens on Friday, the winner of Saturday’s game will win the regular season title, and will host the upcoming Liberty League Tournament semifinals and final (Feb. 23-24) as the top seed.
Skidmore beat both St. Lawrence (83-67) and Clarkson (67-57) on the road earlier this season.
Skidmore has seen production from across the roster over the past few weeks. Last weekend, that balance showed in a pair of victories on the road, as the Thoroughbreds defeated Hobart on Friday and RIT on Saturday. Five players scored in double figures at Hobart, while six did so at RIT.
Rupkus also climbed new heights in the 79-71 win at Hobart, becoming the first Skidmore basketball player to surpass 2,000 career points. He currently has 2,020 career points and is second on the team this season in scoring at 16.6 points per game. Noah Meren leads the team and the league in scoring (21.1 ppg), followed by Greg Skoric (7.8 ppg), Ta (7.4 ppg), and Jack Byrne (6.1 ppg). Ta has averaged 15.6 ppg over the last five games, and recently earned a spot on the Liberty League Honor Roll.
Clarkson (6-17, 5-11) comes into the weekend riding a two-game win streak. The Golden Knights defeated Union and RIT in their previous two games. South Glens Falls product Matt Higgins leads the team in scoring at 14.0 ppg. Chris Hulbert is the other player averaging in double figures at 10.1 ppg. Reese Swedberg leads the team in rebounding (5.0 rpg).
St. Lawrence has won five of the last six games leading into the weekend. The Saints will take on RPI in Troy on Friday before coming to Skidmore for the league finale. Riley Naclerio, a product of nearby Cohoes, leads the team in scoring at 14.7 ppg. Ben Crawford (12.5 ppg) and Luke Hicks (10.6 ppg) are the other double digit scorers. Crawford also leads the team in rebounding (8.9 rpg).
The women (7-16, 6-10) are locked in a fight with RPI (11-11, 6-9) for the final postseason spot. The Thoroughbreds, defending league champions, can return to postseason play with a pair of victories, combined by two Engineer losses. RPI will play three games in four days, taking on Union, St. Lawrence, and Clarkson.
Skidmore split the games up in the North Country, falling to St. Lawrence (4639), but rebounding to defeat Clarkson (74-52).
The Thoroughbreds have split the last four games leading up to this weekend, with wins against Ithaca and Bard, and losses to William Smith and RIT. Jessica Centore leads the team in scoring at 8.5 ppg, followed by Ong (7.8 ppg), English (7.4 ppg), and Sydney Tsutsui (7.2 ppg). Ong leads the team in rebounds (7.9 rpg), and is averaging 9.3 rebounds per game since the beginning of January. Centore is among the league leaders in steals at 2.1 per game.
Clarkson (7-16, 4-12) comes into the weekend on a three-game losing streak, falling to Ithaca, Union, and RIT. Five of their last six games have been at home. The Golden Knights are led by Molly Stewart, averaging 15.7 ppg. Kati Gotch leads the team in rebounds (6.3 rpg).
St. Lawrence (7-16, 4-12) marches into the final weekend of the season with an identical record to Clarkson, and have dropped the last five games. Katie Frederick is averaging a double-double, leading the Saints in both points (11.0 ppg) and rebounds (10.6 rpg). She’s currently the league leader in rebounding. Ava McCann is second in scoring (7.6), with Chelsea Van Tassel right behind (7.2 ppg).