Feb 26, 2014
GENEVA, N.Y.—It took an extra five minutes, but the Hobart College basketball team booked a third consecutive trip to the Liberty League Tournament Championship game with a 78-69 overtime win against Clarkson University in Bristol Gym tonight. Seniors Richie Bonney and Joe Gibbons led the Statesmen, making significant jumps up the school's career scoring list.
Bonney shot 6-of-12 from the floor with a 3-pointer and 10-of-12 at the line for a game-high 23 points. He raised his career scoring total to 1,670 points, passing Mike Masino '88 (1,663) for second place. Joe Corbett '03 holds the career record (1,701). Bonney also pulled down a game-high 14 rebounds tonight to complete his 20th double-double of the season.
Gibbons shot 7-of-13 from the floor and 5-of-7 at the line for 19 points. He upped his three-year Hobart total to 1,032, passing Mark Genovese '85 (1,026), Randy Hudson '79 (1,031), and Dave Silveri '76 (1,031) and tying Dave Aughey '84 for 22nd place.
The Statesmen also got 18 points, four assists, and three steals from junior guard Trey Blanding and seven points, eight rebounds, and three assists from junior guard Andrew Hoy. First-year guard Pete Drescher chipped in seven points off the bench.
The Golden Knights also put three players in double figures led by senior guard Marques Charlton's game-high matching 23 points, that including a pair of 3-pointers and a perfect 7-for-7 showing at the line. Junior forward John Coleman added 20 points, six rebounds, and a game-high four steals while sophomore guard Felix Abongo finished with 16 points and eight rebounds.
Neither team led by more than eight points during regulation with the teams going into halftime tied at 30. Hobart built a 45-37 lead with eight straight points, including an impressive sequence by Drescher. He blocked a shot on defense and collected the carom, raced to the other end of the floor and completed a traditional 3-point play. Clarkson wiped out that lead by going on a 12-4 run that included six points from Charlton. From that point on in regulation, neither team led by more than four.
The final four points of regulation came at the foul line with Bonney giving Hobart a 63-61 lead at 1:22 and Coleman tying the game for the 10th and final time with a pair of freebies 15 seconds later. The Statesmen had three looks at the basket in the final 67 seconds of regulation, but were unable to reclaim the lead.
In OT, Hobart got the tip and Bonney scored off his own offensive rebound to give his team the lead for good. Clarkson turned the ball over on its first possession and Hoy made two free throws at the other end of the floor to make it a four-point game. The Golden Knights missed their first field goal attempt of OT and Bonney grabbed the board. Another CU foul sent Gibbons to the line, where he made both for a six-point lead. Abongo snapped the scoreless streak at 2:37, but the Statesmen made their free throws down the stretch to clinch the victory.
Hobart (20-6) shot 81 percent from the foul line for the game, including an 11-of-14 performance in overtime. The Statesmen connected on 51 percent of their shots from the floor for the night.
The win clinched Hobart's fourth consecutive 20-win season. In the previous 100 seasons, the program had just one other 20 win season (2000-01, 20-8).
Clarkson (16-10) shot 45 percent from the floor and 84 percent at the line (16-19) for the game.
The Statesmen will host Vassar in the conference title game on Saturday, March 1. The Brewers (19-7) overcame a 10-point halftime deficit to beat Skidmore 66-62 in the other semifinal. Game time will be announced on Thursday.