ITHACA, N.Y. – The Ithaca College men's basketball team saw its season come to an end on Tuesday evening inside Ben Light Gymnasium as the Bombers dropped a 68-62 decision to Skidmore College in the Liberty League Quarterfinals. Ithaca concludes the 2017-18 season with a 15-11 record, while Skidmore improves to 14-11 and will face top-seeded Hobart in the semifinals on Saturday in Geneva, N.Y.

Ithaca led Skidmore, 32-26, at halftime, but was unable to overcome a 27-point second half effort from the Thoroughbreds' Edivinas Rupkus, who finished the night with 39 points on 12-of-20 shooting and was a perfect 13-of-13 at the free throw line.

Skidmore outscored the Bombers, 42-20, over the final 20 minutes to secure the playoff victory.

After trading baskets in the opening 29 seconds, the Bombers took the lead at 4-2 on a layup from senior Marc Chasin. Ithaca would continue to lead the contest until the 13:31 mark when Rupkus drilled a 3-pointer to put Skidmore back on top, 14-12.

The Bombers immediately tied thing back up at 14-14 on a basket from junior Miles Herman, but another three-ball from the Thoroughbreds gave them a 17-14 edge with 12:06 left in the half.

IC eventually tied the game back up at 19-19 on a 3-pointer from junior Matt Flood at the 7:14 mark, which happened to be Ithaca's lone 3-pointer of the contest.

From that point, Ithaca went on an 11-2 run over the next five points to establish a nine-point cushion at 30-21 with just over two minutes to play. During that stretch, Herman scored six more points, while sophomore Riley Thompson added four.

Skidmore trimmed three points off its deficit for the remainder of the half as the Thoroughbreds scored six points in a 22-second stretch.

The Bombers shot 50-percent in the first half (13-for-26), while Skidmore went just 10-of-28 (35.7%).

Skidmore came out in the second half looking like a different team, as the Thoroughbreds tied the game at 34-34 just 1:27 into the stanza. The Bombers would answer with consecutive buckets from Herman and Flood, but Skidmore would regain the lead at 39-38 with 14:15 to go in the contest.

The score would then be tied on four different occasions over the next 4:53 up until a 45-45 deadlock.

With 8:58 to play, Skidmore went back on top, 47-45, and never relinquished the lead after that. Ithaca pulled to within a point three different times over the next six minutes but were never able to regain the advantage.

Skidmore put the game away with 19 seconds left as Rupkus drilled a 3-pointer as the shot clock ran out to give the Thoroughbreds a 65-59 advantage.

Skidmore went 19-for-21 at the free throw line in the second half, compared to 3-for-7 in the opening 20 minutes. The Bombers were 10-of-13 at the line, but shot just 34.5% from the field in the second half.

Herman finished the contest with a team-best 18 points on 8-of-10 shooting to go along with four rebounds and three blocks, while junior Peter Ezema notched a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Senior Carroll Rich concluded his career with 10 points, while Chasin added six points and five rebounds.

Thompson contributed nine points for IC, while Flood chipped in seven points and six boards.

The 15-11 record for IC is the best season the program has had since the 2012-13 team went 21-9.