SCHENECTADY, N.Y.Dana Martin's 33-point outburst led a quartet of double-digit scores as Skidmore defeated Union, 81-65, in a key Liberty League men's basketball game at the Viniar Athletic Center.  The victory moved the 5-3 Thoroughbreds to within one-half game of first place in the conference and improved their overall record to 11-6.  Union, meanwhile, fell into fifth place with its 4-4 circuit log and dropped to 10-9 overall.

Martin, who had eight points on a four-of-six effort from the field at the half, connected on all five of his field goal attempts over the second 20 minutes and knocked down 14 of his 15 attempts from the free throw line.  His layup with 12:11 left to play gave the visitors their biggest lead of the game, 49-35, then, after the Dutchmen had closed to within one, 58-57, on Brian Scordato's three-pointer with 6:26 left, Martin started the Thoroughbreds on a game-ending 23-8 run by connecting on his lone tres with 5:49 remaining.

Chris Murphy answered Martin's three-pointer with a layup to bring the Dutchmen back to within two, 61-59, with 5:33 showing, but that was a close as Union would come as Skidmore 15 of the next 17 points to increase its margin to 76-61 with 56 seconds left.  Martin accounted for eight points during the run while Mike Murray had four and J.P. Corry added three. 

Skidmore scored the last five points of the first half to take a 29-24 lead into the locker room.  Brian Scordato tied the game at 24-24 when he hit a jumper with 1:12 showing.  Murray then gave the Thoroughbreds the lead with a three-point basket at 53 seconds before Martin scored a layup with 16 seconds showing.  Union's Chris Murphy missed an opportunity to bring the Dutchmen back to within one when his long field goal attempt went off the front of the rim at the buzzer.

Skidmore finished the opening 20 minutes with a 45.8% effort from the field (11-of-24) while the Dutchmen shot just 38.5% (10-of-16) including a four-of-15 effort (27.7%) from three-point range.

Mike Murray finished with 17 points while Corry added 12 and Fran Murray chipped in with 10 for Skidmore, which avenged an earlier 80-75 loss at the hands of the Dutchmen, finished by hitting 54% of its field goals (27-of-50). 

Junior guard John Cagianello and sophomore back court mate Joe Mackey each had 16 points for the Dutchmen while Scordato, a junior forward, added 14 with Murphy, a junior point guard, knocking down 10 markers.  Murphy also contributed three assists giving him 304 for his career.