GENEVA, N.Y.—The Hobart College basketball team used a fast start to the second half to break open a tight game on the way to a 64-50 Liberty League win over Union College in Bristol Gym tonight. Sophomore Carter Meshanic led the balanced Statesmen offense with a game-high 12 points.
 
Hobart (13-9, 9-6) took a 30-24 lead into halftime but came out of the break on fire. The Statesmen outscored the Dutchmen 30-9 in the first 12 minutes of the second half, connecting on 11-of-19 from the floor, including 4-of-8 from beyond the arc. Hobart also dialed up the defensive pressure, limiting Union to 4-of-19 shooting, which misfired on all seven of its tries from deep.
 
Senior Andrew Lynch nailed three 3-pointers during the surge for all nine of his points. The run stretched the Statesmen lead to 27 with under nine minutes left.
 
Meshanic had six points in each half and finished the game a perfect 6-for-6 at the free throw line. Jackson Meshanic added 11 points and eight rebounds. Evan Goldberg grabbed a game-high nine rebounds, leading Hobart to a 47-34 advantage on the glass. In total, nine different Statesmen contributed to the scoring, while 12 players had at least one rebound.
 
Union (4-18, 3-12) was led by Brian Noone, who scored all 10 of his points in the first half. He was also one of three Dutchmen with a team-high five boards. Union trailed by as many as 29 before scoring the final 15 points of the game.
 
PLAYOFF PICTURE

• With three games remaining in the regular season, Hobart is tied for third place in the Liberty League standings with RPI, Skidmore and Vassar.
• The top six teams make the conference tournament.
• The Statesmen need one more win or one Clarkson loss to secure a playoff berth.

 
UP NEXT

• Hobart will play its final regular season home game against Bard (6-16, 3-12) at 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 11. Prior to the start of the game, the Statesmen will honor their five seniors and one graduate student.