TROY, N.Y.—A slow start to 2016 for the Hobart College basketball team proved costly in its Liberty League opener at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute this afternoon. The Statesmen, who were playing for the first time in 23 days, missed their first five shots from the floor and fell behind 9-0 in a 60-51 loss to the Engineers.
 
Hobart first-year Colin Dougherty scored a game-high 15 points on 6-of-13 shooting with a pair of 3-pointers. He also recorded a team-high three steals. Classmate Jamal Lucas added 10 points and seven rebounds. Junior Pete Drescher led the Statesmen to a 38-37 edge on the glass with a game and career-high 14 rebounds.
 
Rensselaer also had two players hit double digits. Tyler Gendron led the way with 14 points while Tom Horvat netted 12 points and a game-high four assists. Chase Almond pulled down a team-high 13 rebounds and blocked three shots for the Engineers.
 
During the first four and a half minutes of the game, Gendron netted four points and Almond sank a 3-pointer to help the home team build a 9-0 lead. RPI stretched its lead to 13-2 before Hobart rallied with eight straight points to make it a 3-point contest, but the Statesmen got no closer than that and went into halftime trailing 28-22.
 
In the second half, Hobart twice closed the gap to 3, but got no closer. A 9-2 run that included 5 points from Dougherty made it a 37-34 game midway through the final frame, but Asa Barnhill's 3-pointer bought the Engineers some breathing room. A free throw by Lucas and a layup by Drescher again got the Statesmen within 3, but over the next three minutes, RPI outscored the Statesmen 11-2 to break the game open.
 
Hobart, which came into the game third in the nation in 3-point percentage, had its worst long-range shooting performance of the season, connecting on just 3-of-24 (.125). The Statesmen shot 34.5 percent from the floor overall. Hobart was also 14th in the nation in free throw percentage, but struggled at the charity stripe as well, making just half of its 16 freebies.
 
The Engineers (7-3, 1-0) shot 42.9 percent from the floor, 37.5 percent from 3-point range, and 60 percent from the free throw line.
 
Hobart (4-5, 0-1) will be back in action on Sunday, Jan. 4, when the Statesmen visit Skidmore (5-4, 0-1). Tipoff is scheduled for 4 p.m.