Brothers Carter and Jackson Meshanic recorded double-doubles for Hobart College, but Union College pulled away late for a 70-61 win in Liberty League men’s basketball action Friday night. The result moved the Dutchmen a half game ahead of the Statesmen for the sixth and final spot in the Liberty League Tournament with eight days remaining in the regular season.
Jackson Meshanic produced a game-high 22 points on 8-of-14 shooting and a 6-of-8 effort at the free throw line. He rounded out his team-leading ninth double-double of the season with 12 rebounds. Carter Meshanic finished with 10 points and a game-high 13 rebounds for his first collegiate double-double. Aidan Rodgers added 11 points for Hobart.
Union had two players in double figures led by Brian Noone’s 17 points. Mike Manley chipped in 15 points, including an 8-for-8 showing at the line. Success at the free throw line was an important part of the Dutchmen’s game as they made as many freebies (21) as Hobart attempted.
In the first half, neither team was able to gain much traction. Following a traditional 3-point play by Jackson Meshanic, the score was tied at 29 with under a minute before halftime. Union carried a 33-29 edge into the locker room thanks to free throws by Manley and Noone to close out the first half scoring.
The Dutchmen used a 10-0 run early in the second half to take a 46-33 lead. Noone and Connor Cepeil hit back-to-back 3-pointers during the surge.
Hobart came roaring back with a 14-1 run that tied the game at 47. Jackson and Carter Meshanic and Jack Lesure each scored four points during the four-minute flurry. After Manley and Jackson Meshanic posted counteracting 2-for-2 trips to the line, Rodgers drained one from distance to put the Statesmen in front by three. About a minute later Rodgers sank a mid-range jumper that gave Hobart a 57-54 lead with about seven minutes remaining in the game.
From that point on, the shots stopped falling for the Statesmen. They missed their final nine shots from the floor and scored just four points at the line. Union went 4-of-7 from the floor and made 7-of-9 at the line, ending the game on a 16-4 run. Noone contributed six points to the finishing swell.
The loss halts Hobart’s three-game winning streak and the Statesmen slip to 9-12 overall, 6-8 in league play. Hobart will be back in action Saturday, Feb. 12 when it visits Bard (8-13, 4-10) for a 4 p.m. tipoff. Union (10-11, 7-8) is off until Monday when it hosts RIT (7-11, 5-7).
