Box Score GENEVA, N.Y.— The Skidmore College men's basketball erased a 10-point halftime deficit against Hobart but its comeback effort was thwarted, as the Statesmen managed to pull away for a 66-56 win, Friday night in Liberty League action at Bristol Gym.
 
The Thoroughbreds go to 11-7 overall and 8-2 in the conference, while the Statesmen moved to first in the Liberty League standings, improving to 14-6 overall and 9-2 in league play.   

Connor Merrill moved to ninth on Skidmore's all-time career scoring list with a team-high 22 points. Aldin Medunjanin had 11 points and nine rebounds and Royce Paris chipped in with 13 points and six rebounds.

Both teams made 19 field goals in the game, but Hobart made more than twice as many 3-pointers as Skidmore (9-4) and had a 19-14 advantage in made free throws.

The first half was played a frenetic pace with all of the intensity fans would expect with first place on the line. Hobart took control of the game with a 16-4 run over an eight-minute span late in the frame. Connor Rehbaum made two 3-pointers and senior Andrew Hoy added 5 points during the surge that put the home team up 31-20 with 1:41 to go. A Blanding 3-pointer with 71 second left put the Statesmen in front by 12, but Paris made a layup to cut the Skidmore deficit to 10 at the break at 34-24. Merrill led all scorers with 13 points in the first half, while Rehbaum and Hoy had 11 for Hobart.

Medunjanin opened the second half scoring with a 3-pointer, igniting a 12-2 run for the Thoroughbreds. Medunjanin tied the game at 36-36 with 16:51 to play, converting on a layup. Neither team led by more than five points over the next 13 minutes, as the teams traded the lead back-and-forth four times before the Statesmen finished off their sixth consecutive win.
 
Clinging to a 1-point lead with 3:28 left to play, Hoy buried a 3-pointer with 2:07 remaining to give Hobart a two-possession lead. Hoy made four 3-pointers in the game and logged 18 points. Medunjanin twice got his team within 4 in the final minute, but Hobart secured the 66-56 win by making all eight of its free throws in final 33 seconds.

Rehbaum had a game-high 23 points and 10 rebounds for the Statesmen. Hoy produced 18 points and Blanding added seven points, 10 assists and four rebounds.

"It was a tough game tonight," said Skidmore head coach Joe Burke. "I thought we played hard, but we didn't do the little things you need to do to win on the road.

"We missed layups, we missed free throws and we gave up offensive rebounds on their missed foul shots. We also didn't do the job on their top three players. Rehbaum and Hoy scored and Blanding controlled the game with 10 assists.

"We had a very emotional week but it's my job to have them ready, so I will put this one on me. The upside is we get a chance to come out tomorrow and play better."

Skidmore travels to RIT Saturday, Feb. 7 for a 4 p.m. contest.