GENEVA, N.Y.—The Hobart College basketball team used a combination of depth and tough defense to pick up its fifth consecutive win tonight. Led by senior Trey Blanding's 16 points, the Statesmen topped visiting Union College 67-59 in Bristol Gym.
 
Blanding had just 2 points at halftime, but went 5-for-7 from the floor and made all three of his free throw attempts after the break. He also had a game-high five assists. Classmate Andrew Hoy carried the load in the first half, leading all scorers at the intermission with 12. He finished with 14. First-year Luke Ruddy continued his recent hot streak. The two-time Liberty League Rookie of the Week gave Hobart 13 points and a team-high six rebounds off the bench. Sophomore Connor Costello also grabbed six boards to go with four points.
 
Hobart (13-6, 8-2) shot 42 percent from the floor for the game, including 48 percent in the opening 20 minutes. The Statesmen made 8-of-28 3-point attempts and went 11-of-12 at the free throw line. Hobart also blocked a season-high five shots, with three of the five coming off the bench (Ruddy, Costello, and sophomore Pete Drescher).
 
William Hython was impressive for the Dutchmen (9-12, 3-9). The Liberty League rebounding leader produced game-highs of 17 points and 15 rebounds. He was joined in double figures in the scoring column by Terell Winney and Kevin Weckworth with 14 and 11 points, respectively.
 
Union, which came into the game as the league leader in 3-point percentage, made just 4-of-22 from behind the arc, part of a 37 percent shooting effort overall. The Dutchmen also struggled at the line, making 9-of-17. Union entered the game as the league leader in scoring offense (76.1 ppg), but was held to its lowest scoring output of the season by the Statesmen.
 
Hobart's bench, which outscored Union's 25-2, helped build sizable leads in the first half. With the Statesmen holding a slim 1-point advantage seven minutes into the game, Drescher sank a 3, Costello converted a layup and Ruddy made a jumper to put the home team up 20-12 at the 11:06 mark.
 
The Dutchmen fought back within one with seven straight points of their own, including five from Weckworth. But again, the Statesmen bench responded with seven in a row, this time sophomore Thomas Campion dialed long distance, Drescher made a layup and Ruddy converted a pair at the charity stripe. Hobart went into halftime with a 9-point edge, 38-29, following the second of two 3-pointers by Hoy.
 
Early in the second half, Ruddy scored five straight points to give the Statesmen their biggest lead of the night, 49-36. Hobart's lead was still 10 following a Blanding jumper at 8:33, but over the next two-and-a-half minutes Union scored six straight points to make it a 57-53 game. Hython started the run with a 3-pointer.
 
Following a Hobart timeout at 5:43, senior Connor Rehbaum scored four straight points to quell the Dutchmen's comeback hopes and the Statesmen were able to maintain at least a 6-point lead for the rest of the game.
 
Hobart will play the middle game of a three-game homestand on Friday, Feb. 6, when the Statesmen host Skidmore. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. Prior to the start of the game, the Hobart Athletic Department will honor 2013-14 Jostens Trophy winner Richie Bonney '14.
 
Union's next game is Feb. 13 against Clarkson in Schenectady.