GENEVA, N.Y.—Hobart College got off a 3-point try at the buzzer, but the shot hit the back of the iron and bounced over the backboard as Skidmore College held on for a 61-58 Liberty League men's basketball victory tonight. The win raises the Thoroughbreds record to 11-7 overall, 6-4 in the conference. The Statesmen dip to 8-10, 4-5.
 
Skidmore led by as many as 10 in the second half, but Hobart rallied to tie the game at 57 on a 3-pointer by first-year Sean McKinless with 2:45 to go. A minute later, the Thoroughbreds reclaimed the lead on a triple by first-year Jack Byrne. Hobart first-year Matt Walsh made 1-of-2 at the line with 89 seconds left to make it a 2-point game.
 
Both teams had a possession and a chance to score before first-year Chase Ta earned a trip to the line and made the first of two free throws, restoring the 3-point lead. The Statesmen had a chance to cut into the lead with 33 seconds remaining, but junior Pete Drescher missed a pair of freebies. Skidmore grabbed the rebound off the second miss, but McKinless came up with a steal for one last chance. Hobart called a timeout with under 14 seconds left, but after finding no open looks burned another timeout with 1.4 remaining. This time Walsh caught the inbounds pass, spun and took a contested 3 from the right wing that bounded over the backboard as the buzzer sounded.
 
Hobart's Jamal Lucas recorded game-highs with 21 points and 10 rebounds. He also shared game-high honors with four steals. Walsh added 10 points and Drescher chipped in 9 points and three steals. The Statesmen shot 33 percent from the floor, making more shots from beyond the 3-point arc (9) than inside it (7). Hobart shot 61 percent at the free throw line.
 
Skidmore first-year Edvinas Rupkus had team-highs of 12 points and nine boards. Senior Erik Sanders and Ta each scored 10 points. Ta handed out a game-high five assists and made four steals. The Thoroughbreds shot 38 percent from the field, 25 percent from 3-point range, and 59 percent at the line. Skidmore had a 41-36 edge on the glass and committed one fewer turnover.
 
The Thoroughbreds held the lead for most of the first half, but never more than a single digit advantage. After the visitors took an 8-point lead inside the final two minutes, Walsh made a layup and junior Zach Grattan sank a pair from the line to send Hobart into halftime down 30-26.
 
In the second half, Hobart took a 41-39 lead on a Walsh layup, but Skidmore built the largest lead of the night with the next 12 points. Byrne had 5 of his 8 points in the game during that run.
 
Hobart will be back in Bristol Gym on Saturday, Jan. 30 when the Statesmen host Rensselaer at 4 p.m. The Thoroughbreds travel to RIT tomorrow, also a 4 p.m. start.