GENEVA, N.Y.—The Hobart basketball team held off a pesky Penn State Behrend squad to win the 2024 Hobart Basketball Tournament Championship 60-53 this afternoon. The Statesmen were led by senior Carter Meshanic's double-double that helped him secure the tournament MVP award.
 
Meshanic recorded a team-high 14 points and grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds today to finish the weekend tournament with 20 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists. Junior Gabriel Bergeron and sophomore Alex Moesch each contributed eight points to the victory over the Lions.
 
PSU Behrend's Matthew McDonough was the game's leading scorer, logging 16 points that included four 3-pointers. Tommy DIRienzo added nine points.
 
FOR THE RECORD

• Hobart moved above .500, improving to 3-2 overall.
• Penn State Behrend slipped to 3-2.

 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Hobart committed a season-low nine turnovers.
• The Statesmen outrebounded their guests 38-29, including a 15-9 advantage on the offensive glass.
• The latter helped Hobart to a 34-20 edge in second chance points.

 

HOW IT HAPPENED

• There were six lead changes in the first half.
• Five minutes before halftime, McDonough gave the Lions' their final scoreboard advantage with a 3-pointer that made it a 20-19 game.
• Hobart reclaimed the lead on a layup by senior Aidan Rodgers and then extended it when Moesch, junior Niko Lutz and Bergeron followed with buckets for an 8-0 run and a 27-20 lead.
• Behrend's Nate Edwards made a 3-pointer to complete the first half scoring, cutting his team's deficit to 27-23 going into the break.
• In the second half, Hobart wasn't able to completely shake the visitors, but neither were the Lions able to claw their way back to even.
• DiRienzo hit a triple less than four minutes into the final frame to cut the Statesmen lead to 32-28, but Moesch counters with a 3-pointer of his own.
• It was the closest Behrend would get to catching Hobart.
• A 7-1 Statesmen run midway through the half was capped off by a two-handed dunk by sophomore Dorian Paki, giving Hobart its biggest lead of the game, 50-37.
• Meschanic posted 10 points and five rebounds in the second half.

 
OF NOTE

• The win was the Statesmen's 22nd consecutive victory in Bristol Gym.
• Hobart hasn't lost on its home floor since Jan. 7, 2023.

 
UP NEXT

• The Statesmen will be back in action Tuesday, Nov. 26 when they host Rochester at 8 p.m.