ITHACA, N.Y. – The Ithaca College men's basketball team saw a 10-point second half lead over Hobart College slip away on Friday evening as the Statesmen mounted a late comeback to prevailed over Ithaca, 92-81. The Bombers are now 8-9 on the season and 4-6 in the Liberty League, while Hobart improves to 10-7 and 7-3.

With 15:27 left in the game, the Bombers held a 48-38 advantage over the Statesmen after a made jumper by senior Peter Ezema. Hobart answered with a 14-3 run over the next 2:15 to establish a one-point edge at 52-51.

Ezema went on to score 27 points in the loss on 10-of-21 field goal attempts, including 5-of-10 from 3-point range, to go along with nine rebounds and three steals. The 27 points scored were two points shy of Ezema's career-best.

The league foes would then notch six ties up to the 7:52 mark of the second half. During that six-minute stretch, junior Riley Thompson scored 13 of his 20 second half points to propel the high-stress portion of the game. Thompson finished the night with a game-high 28 points on 11-of-23 shooting and went 5-for-5 at the free throw line.

Hobart then went 1-for-2 at the free throw line with 7:15 remaining in the game to go ahead, 67-66, and the Statesmen never trailed from there. The Statemen extended their lead to 75-66 with eight more unanswered points with just over five minutes to go.

Ithaca pulled back to within a five-point spread at 79-74 on a 3-pointer from junior Sebastian Alderete with 3:37 left, but five quick points from Hobart pushed things back out to a 10-point difference at 84-74 just over a minute later.

The Bombers had an opportunity to trim its deficit down to five with 1:24 to go, but missed three free throws. Hobart took advantage and sunk four at the line on its next trip down the floor to put the game away.

In the first half, the Statesmen jumped out to a 10-4 lead over the opening 3:49. Ithaca battled back to tie the game up at 17-17 after sophomore Bryan Karl converted three free throws at the 11:39 mark. Hobart went back on top. 24-21, with 7:27 to go, but Ithaca went on an 11-0 run over a four-minute stretch to build a 32-24 first half edge. Hobart closed out the final 3:14 on an 8-2 spurt to make the score 34-32 heading to intermission.

Despite forcing 20 turnovers, the Bombers were only able to turn that into 13 points. Ithaca also faced a significant disadvantage at the free throw line, as Hobart went 26-of-29 and Ithaca was 12-of-18. IC was also outrebounded, 45-26.

Alderete finished the night with 11 points, six rebounds and four assists, while Karl added 11 points. Freshman Skylar Sinon accounted for the four points scored for the Bombers.

Ithaca returns to action tomorrow afternoon at 4 p.m. against Union College inside Ben Light Gymnasium.