GENEVA, N.Y.—The Hobart College basketball team leaned on its depth and a season-high scoring effort by senior guard Connor Rehbaum to pick up its first Liberty League win of the season, 65-56 over St. Lawrence University, in Bristol Gym today.
 
Rehbaum scored 20 points on 6-of-11 shooting with a pair of 3-pointers and a perfect 6-for-6 effort at the free throw line. He also grabbed six rebounds and shared game-high honors with four assists. Senior guard Trey Blanding recorded 10 points, five rebounds, and four assists. Senior guard Andrew Hoy and first-year forward Luke Ruddy each scored nine points while the latter also collected a game-high seven rebounds.
 
The Saints (6-6, 1-3) had only five players crack the scoring column led by senior forward Brady Condlin's 20 points. Sophomore guard Kyle Edwards had 14 points and first-year forward Riley Naclerio added 13 points and a game-high eight rebounds.
 
Hobart (6-5, 1-1) had a 37-33 rebounding advantage while each team committed 12 turnovers. The Statesmen also shot better from the field (40%-35%), from behind the arc (25%-22%) and at the line (75%-53%). The biggest advantage Hobart enjoyed on the final stat sheet was at the charity stripe, where the Statesmen made two more freebies (21) than the Saints attempted (19).
 
St. Lawrence grabbed what proved to be its largest lead of the game right off the opening tip. Edwards sank a triple and Condlin followed with a layup for a 5-0 lead. Hobart pulled even before the game was five minutes old and from there, the game settled into a back-and-forth affair that saw neither team lead by more than four before halftime. The Statesmen carried a 25-24 lead into the break thanks to Ruddy's free throw with 37 second to go.
 
Hobart junior guard Michael LaValle opened the second half scoring with a layup and a 3-pointer on back-to-back possessions. By the 13-minute mark, Hobart led by seven after a layup by senior guard Andrew Hoy. St. Lawrence closed the gap to just one three times between the 10:08 and 8:21, but each time Rehbaum was there to close the door on the comeback attempt.
 
After Condlin drained a 3 to make it 40-39, Rehbaum dialed long distance himself to make it a 4-point game. Naclerio hit a 3 for the visitors to make it 43-42, but Rehbaum made a jumper to push the lead to 3. Junior guard Leondre Simmon scored on a tip-in at 8:21, but Rehbaum buried another 3, kicking off a 12-3 Hobart run that put the home team up by 10 with 3:25 remaining.
 
St. Lawrence got as close as five, 61-56, with 29 seconds left, but Rehbaum closed out the win by making four free throws in the waning seconds.
 
Hobart is on the road for its next game on Tuesday, Jan. 13. The Statesmen will play at league rival RIT at 8 p.m. St. Lawrence will return home to host Union on Friday, Jan. 16 at 8 p.m.