ANNANDALE-on-HUDSON, N.Y.—Led by first-year forward
Daniel Cook's game-high 17 points, Hobart College posted its fifth straight win, defeating Bard College 73-53 in Liberty League men's basketball action this afternoon. The Statesmen improved to 6-1 overall, 2-0 in the conference, while the Raptors fall to 0-7, 0-2.
Hobart shot 47 percent from the floor with eight 3-pointers and hit 85 percent of its free throws. For the fourth straight game, the Statesmen enjoyed a double digit advantage on the glass, outrebounding Bard 43-24.
Cook was 8-of-14 shooting, including 1-of-2 from beyond the arc. He also shared game-high honors with seven rebounds. Senior guard
Tucker Lescoe and sophomore forward
Jackson Meshanic each added 13 points. Lescoe sank three 3-pointers in the game. Sophomore guard
Dan Masino chipped in 10 points, seven rebounds and a game-high six assists. Senior forward
Edens Fleurizard also pulled down seven caroms while scoring nine points.
Bard also had four players in double digits, led by Elliott Harris' 12 points. Avgoustinos Sofroniou scored 11 points. Harris and Sofroniou shared team-high honors with six rebounds apiece. Stefanos Psarras and Stamatis Koulouris each netted 10 points.
Hobart built the largest lead of the first half, going up 12-3 on a 3-pointer by Cook. Bard fought back to take a 14-12 lead on a layup by Koulouris. From that point to halftime, neither team led by more than four points. The Statesmen carried a 24-23 edge into the break.
Both teams struggled to gain traction early in the second half. Hobart was clinging to a 39-38 lead when the visitors finally broke free. Lescoe scored seven straight points to boost the Statesmen lead to 46-38 and kick-start a 17-2 Hobart run.
With a layup, Sofroniou interrupted Lescoe's personal surge, but the Statesmen kept right on rolling, rattling off the game's next 10 points for a 56-40 lead with under six minutes remaining. Hobart maintained a double digit lead down the stretch, boosting its advantage to as many as 23.
The Statesmen will close out the calendar year at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 10, hosting conference rival Union in Bristol Gym.
