Box Score POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y.—The Hobart College basketball team defeated Vassar 51-48 tonight in a Liberty League match up. The Statesmen improve to 7-12 overall and 4-4 in the conference, while the Brewers fall to 7-12 on the season and 2-6 in the league.

Sophomore Adam Salzmann (Kingston/Connelly, N.Y.) registered a double-double for the Statesmen, netting 11 points and pulling down a game-high 14 rebounds, including back-to-back three-pointers that gave Hobart the late-game lead. First-year Matt Pebole (Red Bank/Little Silver, N.J.) recorded a team-high 19 points and eight boards, while sophomore Rob Estep (West York/York, Pa.) added 13 points and four rebounds.

Brewer Matt Nunn led all scorers with 22 points and four rebounds. Joe Davis added nine points and eight boards.

Vassar grabbed an early lead to start the game, and held a 12-4 advantage with 14 minutes, 46 seconds remaining in the first half. Hobart responded with an 8-0 run over the next two minutes to even the game at 12-all with 13:24 on the clock, thanks to three-pointers from Pebole and first-year Greg Stern (Jamesville-Dewitt/Jamesville, N.Y.), and a lay-up by Salzmann.

Vassar held the lead for the remainder of the stanza, but never led by more than seven. The Brewers took a 28-24 lead into halftime.

The Statesmen needed less than two minutes in the second half to tie the game at 28-all, but the Brewers would regain a slim 31-28 lead a few minutes later following a three-pointer from Brian Butterworth. The teams went on to trade baskets, and the lead, for the next several minutes.

Vassar began to pull away with 3:28 left, taking a 48-43 advantage, but two straight three-pointers from Salzmann put the Statesmen back on top 49-48 with just over two minutes to play. With five seconds to go in regulation, he made two free throws to ensure the win for Hobart.

The Statesmen will be back in action tomorrow, Feb. 7, when they travel to Rensselaer for another Liberty League contest at 4 p.m.