February 3, 2007

Aasim Cunningham

Mike Manning

GENEVA, N.Y.—Less than 24 hours after watching its opponent make 16 threes that led to a Hobart defeat, the Statesmen rebounded to drain 11 triples at the expense of Skidmore in a 65-53 Liberty League win. Senior guards Mike Manning (Center Moriches/Mastic, N.Y.) and Aasim Cunningham (Montclair Kimberley Academy/Montclair, N.J.) scored 21 and 19 points, respectively, to lead the Statesmen.

Tied at 13 six minutes into the contest, Hobart outscored Skidmore 27-10 over the next 14 minutes. Only a pair of Thoroughbred free throws with no time on the clock kept the Statesmen from carrying a 17-point advantage into the break.

Hobart shot 52 percent from the floor in the opening 20 minutes, sinking 9 of 13 threes. Cunningham was 4 of 5 from downtown (4 of 6 for the game), while Manning made all three of his attempts (3 of 4).

Skidmore struggled to find its shooting touch, managing just eight first half field goals (.373 for the game). The Thoroughbreds didn’t help themselves at the line either, missing 14 of 23 free throw attempts. Junior center Jonah Haviland-Markowitz (Packer Collegiate Institute/Brooklyn, N.Y.) led Skidmore with 16 points, a game-high nine rebounds, and three assists.

In the second half, the Statesmen inflated their lead to as many as 20 before Skidmore made a last ditch comeback effort. The Thoroughbreds closed to eight, 55-47, with 4:16 to go on a three by sophomore guard Matthew Belsito (Collegiate School/New York, N.Y.) but got no closer. Belsito finished with 12 points.

Hobart is back in action on Feb. 9, when the Statesmen travel to Clarkson for an 8 p.m. tipoff. Skidmore returns home for its next contest, hosting Rensselaer at 8 p.m. on Feb. 9.