GENEVA, N.Y. – Despite receiving a career-high from sophomore Skylar Sinon, who finished the night with 37 points, the Ithaca College men's basketball team suffered a heartbreaking defeat at Hobart on Friday evening inside Bristol Gym, 78-77. The Statesmen came away with the one-point win by sinking two free throws with no time left on the clock after IC was whistled for a foul on Hobart's follow-up attempt off a rebound. The Bombers are now 12-5 on the season and 7-3 in the Liberty League, while Hobart improves to 15-3 and 9-2.

Ithaca held a one-point lead with 12 seconds left in the game after Sinon drilled a 3-pointer to put the Bombers up, 77-76. The Statesmen then took a 3-pointer, which was missed, and tapped the ball back out to the top of the key. Tucker Lescoe corralled the rebound and went back up for a shot all in one motion and the Bombers were called for a foul. Lescoe would go on to make both attempts with no time remained to give Hobart the win.

Sinon went 15-for-24 on the night, including 3-for-8 from 3-point range, to go along with eight rebounds, five assists and three steals.

Hobart opened up the game on an 8-0 run over the initial 2:14 of action, but sophomore Skylar Sinon would score eight points in less than three minutes to bring the Bombers back to within a 10-8 different with 15 minutes to go.

The Statesmen would answer with a 10-2 run to establish the first double-digit spread of the contest at 20-10 at the 11:07 mark. Hobart would continue to apply offensive pressure and extended its lead to 30-12 with 7:22 remaining in the half, but the Bombers would mount a comeback attempt from there and pulled to within nine points at 35-26 with 2:43 to go.

Sinon had scored Ithaca's first 12 points of the game until senior Sebastian Alderete aided the comeback effort with seven points. Junior Bryan Karl and sophomore George Sikoryak III also got in on the action during Ithaca's 14-5 run.

The Bombers managed to shave two more points off their deficit before the halftime buzzer and went into intermission trailing, 42-35.

Sinon had 17 points in the first half with six rebounds and four assists, while Alderete added nine points.

In the second half, Ithaca came out on a 6-2 run to pull to within three points at 44-41 less than two minutes into the period. Alderete scored IC's first four points and then Sikoryak found the bottom of the net.

After Hobart pushed the difference back out to eight at 49-41 with 17:16 to go, the Bombers once again responded with a 9-2 spurt to get to within a point at 51-50 with exactly 15 minutes remaining. Sinon, Alderete and sophomore Zach Warech all nailed 3-pointers during that run.

The Statesmen pushed things back out to five points at 55-50, but IC rattled seven-straight on a pair of free throws from Sinon and five points from Karl with 10:30 remaining to go back ahead, 57-55.

Over the final 9:03 of the contest, Ithaca and Hobart would be tied seven times and the lead would change hands on six other occasions, which included the final made free throws by the Statesmen.

Ithaca had extended its lead to 74-70 with 2:17 left as Sinon had poured in eight-straight points at that time. Hobart then netted six points in just under a minute to go back ahead, 76-74, with 22 seconds remaining. Sinon capped off his career evening with the potential game-winning 3-point to account for Ithaca's final 11 points with 12 seconds left, but the comeback came to a screeching halt on the next possession.

Alderete added 16 points on a 7-for-17 contest with three rebounds, while Karl chipped in 10 points. Sikoryak finished with six points, five assists and five rebounds, while senior Jake Mitchell had seven rebounds and three points. Warech contributed five points in the loss.

Ithaca shot 31-for-77 overall (40.3-percent) and scored 23 points off 16 Hobart turnovers. The Statesmen went 31-for-68 from the floor (45.6%) and tallied 19 second-chance points as they outrebounded the Bombers, 53-32.

Ithaca will look to regroup tomorrow as IC takes on Skidmore at 4 p.m. in Saratoga Springs.