Geneva, NY – A sizzling start by Hobart in the first half was too much for the Clarkson University Men’s Basketball team to overcome as the Golden Knights took a shot to their postseason chances in a 85-65 loss to the Statesmen in Liberty League action Friday night.

The Golden Knights fell to 12-10 overall and 5-6 in Liberty League contests, remaining in sixth place in conference action, while Hobart improved to 14-8 overall and 7-4 in league games. Clarkson will need a win at Hamilton on Saturday to keep its playoff hopes alive.

Though Hobart came out flat in the first few minutes, the Statesmen found an offensive rhythm that had Clarkson struggling. Throughout the half, Hobart shot 60.7 percent (17-for-28) from the field and was flawless from the free throw line (6-for-6), while the Knights had trouble becoming acclimated with the rims of Hobart (10-for-33 for 30.3 percent shooting). Clarkson had an early lead, but lost in five minutes into the contest and found itself down by just six points, despite the shooting woes, with 6:27 remaining. However, the Statesmen ran off nine straight points to gain a 15-point edge, 35-20 with 4:07 remaining. Clarkson cut the deficit to 10 points late, but a pair of free throws and a last second basket by the Statesmen extended the gap to 14 points, 43-29, at intermission.

Junior guard Rey Jefferson (Budd Lake, NJ) scored a game-high 11 points in the first half, shooting 3-for-5 with a trio of 3-pointers. Keith Murray (Queens, NY) added four points to go along with four rebounds and a pair of assists, while Elson Pickering (Brooklyn, NY) and Jonathan Hood (Cortlandt Manor, NY) each scored six points.

Eight different players scored a basket for Hobart in the first half, led by Matt Pebole and Mark Bruce, who each had 10 points. The Statesmen could have enjoyed an even larger lead at the half, but Clarkson didn’t allow Hobart any second chance opportunities with zero offensive rebounds.

Hobart’s shooting didn’t cool off in the second half, as the Statesmen again shot 50 percent from the floor (17-for-34) while the Knights couldn’t keep their offense clicking long enough to put a dent into the Statemen’s advantage. Clarkson got to within 13 early in the second half, but the Knights found themselves down by more than 20 just a few moments later, which turned out to be the final margin.

Jefferson finished with a team-high 19 points, making five 3-pointers in the process. Pickering tossed in 14 points, coming within a basket of the 1,000-point mark in his career. Hood finished with 10 points and 7 rebounds.

Matt Pebole led all scorers with 20 points for the Statesmen while freshman Stefan Thompson added 17 points.