GENEVA, N.Y.—Hobart never trailed St. Lawrence on the way to a 63-55 victory in the Liberty League Men's Basketball Tournament Championship Game, capturing the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Championship. Junior Aidan Rodgers was named the Most Outstanding Player after leading the Statesmen in scoring today.
Rodgers paced four Hobart players in double figures with 17 points, including 12 in the second half. He was 4-of-7 from the floor with a pair of 3-pointers and 7-of-8 at the free throw line. First-year Alex Moesch posted 16 points, including 14 in the first half. Juniors Carter Meshanic and Pat Healy each finished with 10 points.
Saints' sophomore Adam Dudzinski led all scorers with 26 points and also notched a game-high three steals. Senior Trey Syroka finished with 16 points.
FOR THE RECORD
- Hobart improved to 22-5 on the season, 14-0 on its home floor.
- St. Lawrence fell to 18-8.
KEY STATS
- While Dudzinski and Syroka were a combined 17-of-27 from the floor, the Statesmen held the rest of the Saints to 3-of-22 shooting.
- Hobart had a slim 32-31 advantage on the glass, but took advantage of their second chances, outscoring the visitors 8-4 on second chance opportunities.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Both teams had to deal with the nervous energy fueled by a near-capacity crowd in Bristol Gym. Each side's first two possessions ended in turnovers.
- The Statesmen broke through first with Rodgers sinking a pull-up jumper.
- A third straight turnover by the Saints led to a fast-break layup by senior Isaiah Washington for a 4-0 lead.
- SLU rallied to tie the game at 9 on a hook shot by Chris Downs Jr. It was the only tie of the game.
- Seconds later, Moesch broke the tie with a 3-pointer.
- Syroka hit a pull-up jumper in the lane to pull his team within one, but Hobart countered with eight straight points to take control of the game.
- Moesch scored on a pair of shots during the run that gave Hobart a 20-11 lead.
- The Statesmen carried their biggest lead of the opening 20 minutes into the locker room with them at halftime, 34-20.
- Hobart shot 51.9% in the first half, including 4-of-9 from deep. SLU shot 50%, but was just 1-of-5 behind the arc.
- The Statesmen took their largest lead of the game, 47-31, on a layup by Washington with about 12 minutes left.
- St. Lawrence, the 2023 Liberty League champs, fought to the very end. Dudzinski's jumper just over three minutes remaining cut Hobart's lead to five, but the defenses ruled over the next two-plus minutes.
- Neither team scored again until 43 seconds remained. By that time, the Saints had to foul.
- Hobart iced the game by going 5-for-8 at the line.
GAME NOTES
- Hobart won its fourth Liberty League Tournament Championship and first since 2014.
- The Statesmen will make the program's sixth NCAA tournament appearance and first since advancing to the Round of 16 before the rest of the tournament was canceled due to COVID in 2020.
- Hobart's 22 wins this season are tied for third most in program history. The 2011-12 (23-6) and 2019-20 (23-5) Statesmen share the single season record. Hobart went 22-7 in 2013-14.
TOURNAMENT TIME
- The 64-team NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Championship bracket will be announced at 1 p.m. Monday, Feb. 26 during a webcast on NCAA.com.
- There are 42 automatic qualifiers, including Hobart, while 22 teams will receive at-large bids.
- First and second round games will be played on 16-campus sites March 1 and March 2.