December 10, 2003

GENEVA, N.Y.—For the first five minutes of tonight’s Division III men’s basketball game in Bristol Gym, the Hobart College Statesmen looked ready to give the seventh-ranked University of Rochester Yellowjackets all they could handle. But then Rochester’s veteran lineup kicked it up a notch, en route to a 90-57 victory.

Hobart (2-3) took an 11-8 lead at the 15:44 mark thanks to senior guard Brad Strait’s (Fort Plain/Fort Plain, N.Y.) three-pointer. At that point the Statesmen had hit their first five field goal attempts, but it proved to be the highlight of an otherwise forgettable first half.

Rochester (8-0) kept Hobart in check for the remainder of the session, outscoring their hosts, 47-8 in the final 14:25 of the first frame. The Yellowjackets converted 23-of-37 (.622) from the floor in the first half, while the Statesmen converted just 3-of-20 after their 5-of-5 start.

Senior center Brian Jones (Balboa/Pacifica, Calif.) sparked Rochester surge, scoring 14 of his game-high 19 points off the bench in the opening 20 minutes. Jones also paced the Yellowjackets on the boards with a game-high 12.

Junior guard Gabe Perez (Corpus Christi Calallen/Corpus Christi, Texas) also posted a double double for the visitors with 12 points and 12 rebounds. Junior guards Ryan Mee (Hilton/Hilton, N.Y.) and Brendan McAllister (Upper St. Clair/Upper St. Clair, Pa.) combined for eight three pointers, finishing with 15 and 12 points, respectively.

Playing mostly for pride after the break, Hobart did shoot 48.3 percent from the floor (14-29) and outscored Rochester 38-35. Junior forward Joe Flacke (Schenectady/Schenectady, N.Y.) and sophomore forward Tim Apuzzo (Greely/Cumberland, Maine) led the Statesmen with 14 and 13 points, respectively.

Hobart is back in action on Dec. 20, when the Statesmen visit Division I Colgate. Tipoff is scheduled for 3:15 p.m.