POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y.—A late game lull proved costly for the Hobart basketball team as the Statesmen fell 85-74 to Liberty League foe Vassar this afternoon.
 
Hobart (6-2, 1-1) trailed by as many as 15 in the first half, but used a 25-8 run spanning the first and second half to take a 49-47 lead with 15 minutes remaining. The Brewers (6-1, 2-0) regained control with 12 straight points in the waning minutes, building an 81-65 lead with just under four minutes left.
 
Junior Alex Moesch led four Statesmen in double digits with 16 points as well as a team-high three steals. Sophomores Monty Nedd and Allen Mordi each contributed 13 points, while junior Dorian Paki finished with 11 points and seven boards. First-year Harrison Muntner gave Hobart five points and a team-high eight rebounds off the bench. Sophomore Justin Price dished out a team-high four assists.
 
Vassar had three players in double figures led by Shea Fitzgerald's game-high 21 points. Nathan Denham narrowly missed a double-double, finishing with 10 rebounds and nine points.
 
GAME RECAP
First Half – Vassar 41, Hobart 36

• Vassar got off to a fast start, scoring the first eight points and forcing the Statesmen to burn a timeout.
• Hobart responded, outscoring the home team 7-2 after the break. Nedd hit a pair of threes to get the Statesmen going.
• A Nedd layup a few minutes later cut the Brewers' lead to 14-12, but Vassar pulled away over the next eight minutes, building a 39-24 advantage with six minutes left in the first half.
• Hobart captured the momentum going into halftime on a 12-2 run. Muntner scored all five of his points during the surge.

 
Second Half – Vassar 85, Hobart 74

• The Statesmen made a 3-point trifecta to start the second half, seizing a 45-44 lead.
• Senior Gabriel Bergeron, Moesch and Price connected from beyond the arc.
• Paki made a pair of free throws for a 49-47 lead, Hobart's last of the contest.
• First-year Jackson Carey nailed a three tying the game at 52, while Mordi did the same a minute later to knot the contest at 55. That proved to be the last tie of the game.
• An 8-2 Brewer run put them back in front for good.
• It was still a four-point game, 69-65, with seven and a half minutes remaining, but the Statesmen missed their next six shots from the floor while the Brewers scored 12 points to put themselves on the path to victory.

 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• 14 – consecutive double digit scoring games for Moesch, dating back to last season.
• 11 – 3-pointers made by the Statesmen, matching the season-high set yesterday at Bard.
• 5 – consecutive games with a blocked shot for Paki. He started the streak with three rejections at Keuka.
• 3 – 3-pointers made by Mordi, tied for the most by a Statesmen in a game this season. He also hit three in the win over Hamilton.

 
UP NEXT
Hobart will return to the friendly confines of Bristol Gym to host Ithaca (2-5, 1-1) in a Liberty League contest on Tuesday, Dec. 9. The opening tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.