GENEVA, N.Y.—The Hobart basketball team opened the season with a thrilling 67-65 down-to-the-wire win over Gettysburg on Saturday in Bristol Gym. In a game that featured 14 lead changes and 10 ties, junior
Allen Mordi put Hobart ahead with a pair of free throws with 2:30 remaining.
The Statesmen trailed 56-53 with four minutes left but scored seven straight to take a 4-point lead. In addition to Mordi's makes at the line, senior
Dorian Paki contributed the other five points in the surge. The Bullets didn't go quietly and fought back to within two with less than five seconds remaining. Caleb Gillus got a layup off at the buzzer, but Paki was there to block the offering and preserve the victory.
Hobart shot 69 percent from the free throw line for the game, making more from the charity stripe (17) than the visitors attempted (13). Gettysburg made its mark with eight 3-pointers to Hobart's two. The teams finished even on the glass at 36 rebounds apiece.
Mordi finished with team-highs of 14 points, eight rebounds and three blocks. Paki scored 11 points and added three rebounds. Junior
Monty Nedd recorded five steals to go with eight points and five rebounds. Senior
Alex Moesch added 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting and collected three rebounds.
"This was a great first test to start the season and we're grateful to come out victorious. Gettysburg is a well-coached team that has NCAA tournament experience. Our team found ways to stay composed and united throughout the 40 minutes. During the last four minutes of the game, we got critical stops defensively, and played with poise offensively. We're 1-0, but know there is much more room for improvement." — Hobart Head Coach Stefan Thompson '13
For the Bullets, Ray Zamloot scored 15 points with five 3-pointers and added six rebounds. Gillus also finished with 15 points. Reece Craft posted 14 points on 7-of-11 shooting, collected 10 rebounds and recorded two blocks.
FIRST HALF
- After Gettysburg hit two early 3-pointers, Burnett's 3-pointer and Moesch's layup after two offensive rebounds gave Hobart a 10-6 lead at 16:21.
- Hobart went scoreless for more than six minutes while Gettysburg moved ahead 11-10; the teams traded leads on a Matt Dalton layup, a Craft layup and a Paki dunk before Craft and Zamloot scored to give Gettysburg an 18-14 lead.
- Mordi started Hobart's nine-point response with two free throws at 7:01, added two layups, and sophomore Elvis Lloyd's 3-pointer at 4:52 gave Hobart a 23-18 lead.
- Gettysburg closed within 27-26 on Alex Grospe's jumper, but Moesch scored with 36 seconds left and Hobart led 29-28 at halftime after Gillus made two free throws 10 seconds before the break.
SECOND HALF
- The final stanza moved through early ties at 31, 33 and 35 before Charlie Marcoullier's 3-pointer put Gettysburg in front 38-37; Burnett's layup at 14:56 moved Hobart back ahead 39-38.
- Hobart built a 49-44 edge on Dalton's jumper at 9:13, but Gettysburg scored the next seven points to take a 51-49 lead on Craft's jumper at 7:08, then went up 55-51 on Grospe's free throws at 5:00.
- In the decisive final four minutes, Hobart was 10-for-14 at the line and 2-for-2 from the field with no turnovers.
The Statesmen (1-0) host St. John Fisher University on Wednesday, Nov. 11 at 7:30 p.m. in Bristol Gym.
