The Hobart basketball team gave its seniors a 75-61 Liberty League win over Union to conclude the regular season this afternoon. The Statesmen share the conference’s regular season championship with St. Lawrence, which defeated RPI.
Hobart will be the No. 1 seed in next week’s Liberty League Tournament thanks to the league’s third tie-breaker, record vs. conference opponents in descending order. The Statesmen and Saints remained tied through the top four teams. Fifth-seeded Union breaks the deadlock. Hobart swept the Garnet Chargers, while SLU split their season series. It’s the eighth time the Statesmen have won the Liberty League regular season championship and the first time since 2018.
On Senior Day, it was first-year Alex Moesch that led Hobart. After a scoreless first half, he erupted for 17 points after the break, including 15 in the final eight minutes of the game. Moesch was 5-of-9 shooting, including 3-for-4 from beyond the 3-point arc. He was a perfect 4-for-4 at the line. Junior Carter Meshanic added 16 points and a team-high nine rebounds. Classmate Aidan Rodgers contributed 13 points, seven boards and a pair of assists. Seniors Ryan Lucey and Isaiah Washington each finished with 10 points.
Union’s Jack Plesser and Christian Dufort both recorded 15 points to pace the visitors. Dufort logged a double-double, pulling down a game-high 12 rebounds. First-year Tanner Tedesco handed out a game-high eight assists.
FOR THE RECORD
- Hobart finished the regular season with a 20-5 overall record, marking the eighth 20-win season in program history. Head Coach Stefan Thompson ’13 is just the second Statesmen bench boss to post multiple 20-win seasons (23-5 in 2019-20). Coach Mike Neer accomplished the feat three straight season from 2011-12 to 2013-14.
- Hobart improved to 12-0 at home this season. It marks the first time the Statesmen have completed the regular season with an unblemished home record since 2000-01.
- Union wraps up the regular season with a 14-10 overall record and a 9-9 mark in conference play. The Garnet Chargers will be the No. 5 seed, visiting No. 4 RIT in Tuesday’s first round.
KEY STATS
- Hobart earned the win over Union by relying on its season calling cards: rebounding, free throw shooting and defense.
- The Statesmen controlled the glass, grabbing 43 boards to the Garnet Chargers’ 33.
- Hobart made twice as many free throws (18) as Union attempted (9).
- The Statesmen limited the Garnet Chargers to 34.4% shooting in the second half. Hobart was tough on the perimeter throughout the game, forcing Union into a 5-for-25 effort from long range.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Union, which had hopes of earning a home game in the Liberty League Tournament, came out firing.
- The Garnet Chargers used an 18-5 run to build a 24-14 advantage.
- Hobart snapped out of its funk and ripped off 10 straight points to tie the game.
- Union went into halftime with a 33-29 lead.
- The Statesmen scored the first five points of the second half to tie the game.
- Over the next 10 minutes, the teams traded buckets. The game featured a total of 15 lead changes and seven ties.
- The game was tied at 54 for nearly two minutes. Hobart got back in the groove first, thanks to a 3-pointer by Moesch.
- The Statesmen never trailed again, outscoring the Garnet Chargers 21-7 over the final eight minutes. Moesch scored 13 points in the closing surge.
TOURNAMENT TIME
- The top two seeds in the Liberty League Tournament receive a bye to the semifinals.
- Hobart will host the winner of Tuesday’s Union at RIT first round game on Friday, Feb. 23. The opening tipoff is tentatively scheduled for 7 p.m.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].