January 17, 2006

Joe Virgilio

Colby Feane

CLINTON, N.Y.-The Hobart basketball team extended its winning streak against Hamilton College to three games with an 85-74 win in Scott Field House. Senior guard Joe Virgilio (Wheatley/East Williston, N.Y.) poured in 22 points and senior guard Colby Feane (Weedsport/Weedsport, N.Y.) added 20 to pace the visiting Statesmen.

Sophomore forward John Grazioli (St. Anthony's/Melville, N.Y.) chipped in 16 points and blocked two shots. Senior guard Adam Frederic (Holy Cross/Flushing, N.Y.) posted nine points and a team-high nine rebounds. Hobart (6-6, 2-1 Liberty) shot 50 percent (25-50) from the field, including 8-for-15 from three-point range. The Statesmen were hot the free throw line as they made 81.8 percent (27-33) of their freebies.

Senior Tim Welchons scored a game-high 23 points for Hamilton, which lost for just the second time in 12 games. Senior Phil Valenti dropped in a career-high 19 points, made a career-best eight steals, and handed out five assists. Tsakane Ngobeni '07 grabbed a season-high 13 rebounds, which was nearly half of the Continentals' 30 as a team.

Hamilton (2-1 league) shot just 40.3 percent (27-67) from the floor, including 7-for-24 from beyond the three-point arc. Hobart outrebounded the Continentals by 11.

The Statesmen led by as many as seven points in the first half and took a 39-34 advantage into the break. Hamilton led once in the second half at 53-52 on a Welchons layup with 13:38 left. The Continentals then went scoreless for more than five minutes while Hobart went on a 5-0 run thanks to a three-pointer by Virgilio, who had 18 points in the second half, and a basket by Feane. The Statesmen were up 57-53 with 9:27 remaining and never trailed again.

Feane's scoring total moved him to 989 for his career, 11 shy of becoming the 19th Statesman to reach the 1,000-point plateau.

Hamilton still leads the all-time series, 86-51, but Hobart has won the past three meeting between the two schools.