GENEVA, N.Y.—The Hobart College basketball team will host Vassar College in the Liberty League Tournament championship game on Saturday, March 1. Tipoff in Bristol Gym will be at 4 p.m. and admission is free.
 
The Statesmen (20-6) are the tournament's top seed after winning the regular season title for the fourth consecutive year. Hobart advanced to its third straight championship game with a 78-69 overtime victory against Clarkson last night. The Statesmen put three players in double digits led by senior forward Richie Bonney's 20th double-double of the year on 23 points and 14 rebounds.
 
The second-seeded Brewers (19-7) earned their spot in the championship game with a 66-62 victory over Skidmore last night. Vassar trailed by 10 at halftime, but outshot the Thoroughbreds 54 percent to 24 percent in the second half to rally for the program's first Liberty League Tournament win. Sophomore guard Johnny Mrlik led five Brewers in double figures with 18 points.
 
Hobart leads the conference in free throw shooting (.740) and rebounding margin (+5.5) and is second in scoring margin (+6.5), field goal percentage (.465), assist-to-turnover (1.46) and assists per game (16.5). Vassar enters the championship first in the league in scoring defense (67.0), field goal percentage (.483), field goal percentage defense (.378), 3-point percentage (.401), and 3-point percentage defense (.302).
 
Four Statesmen are averaging more than 10 points per game. Bonney is second in the league in scoring (20.1 ppg) and first in rebounding (11.4). Junior guard Connor Rehbaum has made a team-high 53 3-pointers and averaged 14.5 ppg and 5.1 rpg. Senior guard Joe Gibbons adds 14.1 ppg and 4.3 rpg. Junior point guard Trey Blanding produces 10.9 ppg and a league-high 5.3 apg.
 
The Brewers also have four double digit scorers, led by Mrlik's 18.8 ppg. He's also made a league-best 75 3-pointers. Junior forward Luka Ladan has notched 12.6 ppg and 5.6 rpg. Sophomore guard Erikson Wasyl boasts a conference leading .488 3-point percentage and 12.2 ppg while junior forward Alex Snyder contributes 10.7 ppg and a team-high 9.1 rpg.
 
This will be the 25th meeting between Hobart and Vassar. The Statesmen lead the all-time series 23-2, including 13-0 in Bristol Gym. It will be the second meeting between the two programs in the Liberty League Tournament. The first came in the inaugural fray in 2001, a 78-55 quarterfinal win for Hobart.
 
The Statesmen swept the season series this year, eking out a 63-61 win in Poughkeepsie behind Bonney's 18 points and 12 rebounds and a 68-52 triumph in Geneva on Feb. 8, that saw Bonney register game-highs of 23 points and 16 boards.
 
WHWS-FM (105.7) will broadcast the game live. Fans can also follow the action live online via All-Access Video and Live Stats.