Hobart opened the season by wiping out a 15-point first half lead in a win over the University of Rochester. The Statesmen had a season-high nine 3-pointers that day and nearly matched that production tonight.
 
Neither team is likely to point at this contest as its best defensive effort of the year. Hobart (8-4, 2-1 LL) shot 56.9 percent from the floor and made 9-of-17 3-pointers. The Tigers (6-4, 0-1) shot even better, 64.2 percent, and converted 8-of-18 from long range. The big difference in the game was at the foul line where the Statesmen made 17-of-25 compared to just 4-of-12 for the visitors.
 
Hobart also held the upper hand on the glass (27-22) and in turnovers (7-14).
 
Senior Richie Bonney turned in another monster effort, scoring a game-high 25 points and collecting a game-high 10 caroms for his 11th double-double in 12 games. JuniorConnor Rehbaum was 4-of-6 from 3-point range and produced 19 points and a career-high eight assists. Senior Andrew Hoy also got in a zone from beyond the arc, making 4-of-7 on his way to a career-high 17 points. Senior Joe Gibbons added 15 points, five assists and a game-high three steals. First-year Pete Drescher gave the Statesmen five players in double digits with a 10-point night.
 
For RIT, sophomore J.P. Reagan and junior Miguel Lopez share team-high honors with 16 points apiece. Reagan was 4-of-7 from deep, while Lopez didn't miss any of his seven shots from the field. Sophomore Kamron Davis, senior Jameel Balenton, and senior Brendan Reinert each contributed 10 points. Both Davis and Reinert were limited to less than 20 minutes due to foul trouble.
 
The Tigers came out fired up against the Liberty League's defending champion, making seven of their first eight shots to build a 10-point lead less than five minutes into the game. Reagan, Balenton and Lopez each made a 3-pointer in the first three minutes as RIT raced out to a 14-4 lead. Lopez converted a tradition 3-point play at the 6:09 mark to make it a 12-point game.
 
Rehbaum awoke the Hobart offense from its slumber with the game's next eight points, making back-to-back treys and a pair of free throws, kick-starting a 17-7 run to finish the half. The Statesmen trailed by just two, 40-38 during the intermission.
 
Hoy opened the second half scoring with a 3, giving Hobart its first lead of the night, 41-40. Desmond Scott briefly put the Tigers back in front with a jumper at the other end of the floor, but a Rehbaum layup put the Statesmen back in front for good.
 
The game remained a one or two possession game through the first six minutes of the second half, but Hobart broke the contest open with an 11-3 surge that including a pair of triples from Rehbaum and a finishing 3 from Hoy. The Statesmen led by as many as 13, 71-58 following Gibbons' two-handed, fast-break dunk.
 
RIT got within six twice in the final six minutes—the last time on a Scott layup with 4:22 to go—but Hobart restored its double digit lead with five straight points and closed out the win by going 6-of-8 at the line in the last 64 seconds.
 
The Statesmen will be back in action on Saturday, Jan. 17, when they visit Vassar. Tipoff in Poughkeepsie is scheduled for 8 p.m. RIT will play at the same date and time at Bard.