GENEVA, N.Y.—Hamilton College escaped Bristol Gym with a 46-44 non-conference victory over Hobart College this afternoon. The Continentals improved to 10-2, while the Statesmen slipped to 5-4.
 
The two former Liberty League rivals stood toe-to-toe throughout the contest with neither team leading by more than seven points. Hobart led 42-38 after a pair of made free throws by senior guard Andrew Hoy with 6:16 remaining.
 
Hamilton closed the game on an 8-2 run with junior guard Jack Donnelly scoring five of the Continentals eight points. He made a jumper at the 5:03 mark to cut Hobart's lead to two and buried a 3-pointer just over a minute later to give his team the lead, 43-42.
 
The Statesmen tied the game at 2:31 when first-year Luke Ruddy made the first of two free throw attempts, but senior guard Joseph Lin put Hamilton back in front for good with a layup at with 74 seconds to go. Ruddy earned another trip to the free throw line with 41 seconds left, making the second of his two tries to trim Hobart's deficit to one.
 
The Statesmen got the ball back with 31 seconds left following a Hamilton turnover, but missed a jumper with 13 seconds left. The Continentals were able to add to their lead by making one of three free throws in the final 10 seconds, leaving the door open for the Statesmen to tie or go for the win, but a half-court heave at the buzzer was blocked by Peter Kazickas.
 
Hobart enjoyed the largest lead of the game, 20-13, with 6:17 left in the first half, but Hamilton outscored the Statesmen 9-4 down the stretch to go into halftime trailing by just two.
 
Senior guard Connor Rehbaum led Hobart with 10 points. Senior guard Trey Blanding added nine points, a career-high matching seven rebounds, and four assists. Ruddy finished with eight points and five rebounds and Hoy recorded seven points and seven rebounds.
 
Lin led all scorers with 15 points, five rebounds and a game-high five assists. Donnelly chipped in 10 points. Junior forward Ajani Santos grabbed a game-high eight rebounds.
 
Hamilton outshot Hobart 37 percent to 30 percent. Both teams struggled from 3-point range (combined 6-for-37) and at the free throw line (14-31).
 
Down to the wire showdowns between Hobart and Hamilton are becoming the norm. Each of the past four meetings have been decided by three points or less with each side winning twice.
 
Hobart opens Liberty League play on Friday, Jan. 9, when it hosts Clarkson at 8 p.m. in Bristol Gym. Hamilton will return to Clinton to host Amherst in a NESCAC showdown that tips off at 7 p.m. on Friday.