Box Score

Geneva, N.Y. – The Ithaca men's basketball team (0-1) suffered a 92-67 setback in its season-opener at Hobart (1-0) on Tuesday evening.

The Bombers put four in double figures, but were unable to find a spark as Hobart took a commanding lead early and did not allow Ithaca to crack within striking distance.

Ithaca surrendered an early double-digit lead as the Statesmen powered to a 15-5 advantage less than four minutes into the game. Hobart shot 69.6 percent from the floor in the first half to earn a 49-30 cushion by intermission. The Statesmen edged Ithaca, 43-37, in the second stint, and shot 63 percent for the game, while the Bombers drained just 31.8 percent of their shots taken.

Junior Andrei Oztemel (Staples/Westport, Conn.) and sophomore Frank Mitchell (Hillsborough/Hillsborough, N.J.) recorded team-best performances of 11 points each, while sophomore Christian Jordan (Cherokee/Marlton, N.J.) and junior Sean Rossi (Sparta/Lake Hopatcong, N.J.) each tallied 10. Junior Eric Halejian (Ramapo/Wyckoff, N.J.) added eight points and a team-best five assists.

Rossi opened all scoring with one from beyond the arc at 19:14, but Hobart answered with a 23-5 run to take the lead indefinitely. Ithaca broke back within 10 on a Connor Rogers (Liverpool/Liverpool) three-pointer with 10:17 lingering in the first frame. The home squad answered with a 12-4 streak that propelled Hobart to a 49-30 gap at the break.

The second period opened in back-and-forth fashion before the Statesmen stretched their advantage to 78-44 at the eight-minute mark. The Bombers outlasted the host team, 23-14, down the stretch but it was too little too late as Hobart handed Ithaca its first season-opening loss in four years.

Hobart outrebounded Ithaca, 40-22, and shot 72.2 percent (13-for-18) from three-point range.

The Bombers will travel to Oswego's Max Ziel Classic on Nov. 18-19.

Box Score