GENEVA, NY -- The RIT (3-7, 0-3 Liberty League) men's basketball team returned to Liberty League action Friday with a 71-62 loss at Hobart College (5-5, 2-1 Liberty League). The Statesmen broke open a close game with an 11-0 run over a 4:09 span in the second half to secure the win.

RIT shot 38.3 percent from the floor on 23-of-60 shooting. The Tigers went 13-of-27 from beyond the arc and made 3-of-4 free throws. Will Atkinson (Orchard Park, NY/Canisius) led the Tigers with 14 points, including 11 points in the second half.  Chuck Okehie (Owings Mills, MD/McDonogh) tallied 10 points, while Matt Anderson (Bennington, VT/Mt. Anthony Union) chipped in eight points off the bench. Jaymee Rosser (Newark, NY/Newark) grabbed seven rebounds and handed out five asssits.

Jamal Lucas led four Statesmen in double figures, finishing with 16 points. Colin Dougherty tallied 15 points, while Edens Fleurizard tallied 12 points for the Statesmen, who shot 43.8 percent from the field.

Hobart jumped out to a 12-2 lead early in the first half on a pair of Lucas free throws at the 15:12 mark. Fleurizard gave Hobart a 16-6 lead on his layup with 10:58 remaining in the half. 

RIT responded with a 16-8 run, cutting the Hobart lead to 24-22 on a 3-pointer from Curtis Nesbit (Woodbridge, NJ/Woodbridge) with 3:41 remaining. After a Lucas jumper increased the Statesmen lead to four points, the Tigers scored the next five points, taking a 27-26 lead on a 3-pointer from Rosser with 2:07 to play. Hobart closed the half scoring four straight to take a 30-27 lead into halftime.

Atkinson came out firing to begin the second half, tying the score at 30-30 on a deep 3-pointer on the Tigers opening possession. His 3-pointer with 16:49 to play gave the Tigers a 35-34 lead. Hobart took the lead for good on a Lucas layup at the 15:05 mark of the half. 

Dougherty increased the Hobart lead to 43-37 on his jumper, but the Tigers kept clawing their way back in, cutting the Statesmen lead to 43-40 on a 3-pointer from Anderson with 12:59 remaining. 

Rosser cut the Hobart lead to 48-46 on his 3-pointer with 10:14 remaining. Hobart answered with an 11-0 run, taking a 59-46 lead on a jumper from Tucker Lescoe with 6:50 remaining. RIT got to within seven points late on a Drew DeBacco (Webster, NY/Webster Thomas) 3-pointer, but Hobart made its free throws down the stretch to secure the win.

RIT returns to action on Saturday, January 5 at Rensselaer. Tip-off from Troy, N.Y. is 4 p.m.