SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Skidmore College used a 23-4 run early in the second half to separate itself from the Union College men's basketball team as the Dutchmen dropped a 78-67 contest to the Thoroughbreds in Liberty League action on Friday night at the Williamson Sports Center.
 
Sophomore Jack Williams scored a career-high 12 points in just six minutes off the bench to lead Union (8-8, 4-6 Liberty League), followed by sophomore Jackson Mannix with 10 points. Edvinas Rupkus led five players in double figures for Skidmore (11-6, 9-2 Liberty League) with 22 points and eight rebounds.
 
Union jumped out to an early 8-2 lead 2:37 into the contest thanks five points from Mannix and a three from junior Kevin Jefferson. The Dutchmen maintained their lead for much of the half until an 8-0 run gave Skidmore a 28-25 edge with 4:46 remaining, as part of an extended 18-11 run that put the Thoroughbreds up 38-36 at the half.
 
Mannix led the Dutchmen with 10 points at the half on 3-of-3 shooting, leading a Union attack that stayed in the game thanks to excellent 59.1 percent (13-of-22) accuracy from the field. The team also hit 6-of-11 attempts from long range in the opening 20 minutes.
 
Union evened the score early in the second stanza thanks to back-to-back layups from senior Brendan Laing and sophomore Temi George. However, the offense went cold after that, as the Dutchmen missed 10 of their next 11 shots while the Thoroughbreds hit 10-of-16 attempts as part of a 23-4 run that put the home team in control up 66-43 with 9:12 left.

Union cooled off considerably in the second half, hitting only 8-of-29 shots to finish the game at 41.2 percent (21 of 51) from the field. Skidmore connected at a 54.2 percent clip (13 of 24) in the second stanza to finish the night at 45.5 percent (25 of 55).
 
The Dutchmen return to conference action tomorrow when the team heads to Ithaca College for a 4 p.m. tipoff.