ITHACA, N.Y.—The Hobart College basketball team extended its winning streak to five games with a 72-62 win over Liberty League leader Ithaca College tonight. The Statesmen scored 13 straight points in the first half to surge into a lead that they never relinquished.

"We came out and set the tone early for how we wanted to play tonight," Head Coach Stefan Thompson '13 said. "Our defense sparked our offense and that's something we take a lot of pride in. This team continues to grow and get better week by week. It's exciting because we still have a lot more work to do."
 
Jackson Meshanic posted his 12th double-double of the season on a game-high 24 points and 12 rebounds. He also shared game-high honors with five assists. Patrick Walker added a double-double of his own on 12 points and 12 boards. He also blocked a pair of shots and made two steals. Aidan Rodgers also contributed 12 points, all in the first half and all from beyond the 3-point arc.
 
Ithaca was led by Logan Wendell's 17 points, five rebounds and three steals. Zach Warech was the only other Bomber to hit double digits, finishing with 10 points.
 
FIRST HALF

• Hobart jumped out to a 10-2 early lead thanks in no small part to a pair of triples by Rodgers.
• Ithaca countered with a 14-5 run that included 3-pointers by Wendell and Warech to take a 16-13 lead.
• The Statesmen retook the lead for good with 13 unanswered points, including five from Isaiah Washington.
• The Bombers notched three straight layups to slow Hobart's momentum, but the Statesmen went on a 10-0 run for a 36-22 lead late in the first half.
• Hobart's defense limited Ithaca to 4-of-17 (.235) shooting from the floor over the final 12 minutes of the second half, carrying a 36-24 lead into the break.

 
SECOND HALF

• The Bombers went on a 12-0 run early in the final period, trimming its deficit to five with 11:47 remaining. Ithaca would get no closer.
• Washington ended the Statesmen's scoring drought with a pair of free throws and Pat Healy made a layup a short time later, pushing the visitors' lead back to nine, 51-42.

 
KEY STATS

• Hobart limited Ithaca to 39.3% shooting for the night, including 31.3% in the first half. The Statesmen shot 48.1% from the floor.
• Hobart controlled the glass, outrebounding the Bombers 42-30.
• The Statesmen also enjoyed a sizable advantage at the free throw line. Hobart made nearly twice as many free throws (13) as the Bombers attempted (7).

 
FOR THE RECORD

• Hobart improved to 11-7 overall, 7-4 in the Liberty League. The Statesmen moved into a tie for third place in the league standings.
• Ithaca dropped to 11-6, 7-3 in the conference. The Bombers are now tied for first place with Vassar.

 
UP NEXT

• Hobart continues its four-game road trip tomorrow, Jan. 28, at RIT (8-9, 4-6). Tipoff in Clark Gym is set for 4 p.m.