SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY (December 30, 2016) — Mason Dyslin scored a career-high 22 points on 55 percent shooting, as the Vassar College men's basketball team (4-5, 0-1) dropped its Liberty League opener to Skidmore College (6-3, 1-0) on the road Friday, 76-55.
Dyslin was the only Brewer to notch double digits in the scoring column, as the Vassar bench outscored the Skidmore reserves, 23-19.
Vassar shot 28 percent from the floor and 22 percent (5-of-23) from three, while the home team shot 49 and 33 percent (7-of-21), respectively.
For the Thoroughbreds, Royce Paris totaled 23 points, Edvinas Rupkus added a double-double with 15 points and 14 rebounds, and Aldin Medunjanin finished with 10 points.
With the crowd by their side, the Thoroughbreds opened competition with a 7-0 surge before Dyslin knocked down a pair from the line to get within five.
On the other end, Jack Morrow drained his second straight field goal — a triple this time — before Dyslin responded with a three of his own to cut Skidmore's lead in half, 10-5.
The Brewers and Thoroughbreds traded baskets about midway through the half before Skidmore scored 20 of the final 22 points of the period to take a 40-16 advantage into the locker rooms.
After leading Vassar with nine points in the first half, Dyslin scored the first three of the second, hitting the and-one following a layup.
Paris and Rupkus combined to string together the next nine points before Dyslin ended Vassar's scoring drought with another layup, 49-21.
The Thoroughbreds scored 10 of the following 13 points to take a 59-24 lead before the Brewers notched seven of the next nine to get within 61-31. Tony Caletti sparked the burst with a jumper and capped the run with a triple.
Dyslin sparked a 12-2 run for Vassar, scoring the first six points of the spurt. Hunter Gettings capped the run with a pair of free throws and a triple to pull within 68-46 with about five minutes remaining in regulation.
The Brewers pulled as close as 21 twice in the final minute, thanks to a Mattie Mrlik triple and a Kyle Kappes layup, but that was the closest they came to flipping the lead.
Vassar concludes its six-game road trip at Union College on Saturday, Dec. 31 at 2 p.m. PT.
—VASSAR—
