Box Score LANCASTER, Pa.—The Hobart basketball team faced its toughest test of the season in tonight's championship game of the Sponaugle New Year's Tournament, battling No. 8 Franklin & Marshall on the Diplomats' home floor. The Statesmen needed a near perfect performance.

Hobart (7-2) shot 51 percent from the floor and committed just eight turnovers, but F&M turned every one of those miscues into two points on its way to an 81-71 victory.

Sophomore guard Joe Gibbons paced five Statesmen in double digits with a season-high 16 points. Junior guard Stefan Thompson added 14 points and earned All-Tournament honors. Senior forward Matt Pebole produced 10 points, moving past Sonny Wilson '55 into seventh place on Hobart's career scoring list. Sophomore forward Richie Bonney notched 13 points and senior forward Josh Kalenderian chipped in 10.

Tournament MVP Georgio Milligan led the Diplomats (11-0) with game-highs of 29 points, four assists, three blocked shots, and three steals. All-Tournament pick Hayk Gyokchyan contributed a double-double on 26 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. F&M shot 59.3 percent from the floor, made 7-of-17 from 3-point range, and hit 71.4 percent from the free throw line.

In the first half, the lead changed hands eight times. Hobart took its final lead on a pair of free throws by Gibbons with 4:52 remaining for a 28-26 lead. Franklin & Marshall countered with a 13-2 run to build the biggest lead of the half for either side, 39-28. Thompson cut the deficit to seven by scoring the final four points of the stanza.

Following a layup by Gyokchyan at the 13:36 mark, Hobart was still in a seven-point hole, but a 3-pointer by Gibbons, a layup by Kalenderian, and a layup by sophomore guard Rezin Davis tied the game at 53 with 11:44 to go. The Diplomats went back in front with a 3-pointer, but again the Statesmen rallied making 1-of-2 at the line and the converting a layup.

Unfortunately for upset-minded Hobart, Brandon Beckford's bucket at the 10:16 mark put F&M in front for good. The Statesmen stayed within single digits until Milligan iced the game with his side's final seven points of the night, including 5-of-6 from the free throw line in the final two minutes.

The game was the final non-conference contest of the season for the Statesmen, who begin Liberty League play at home on Jan. 10 when Union visits Bristol Gym. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m.