GENEVA, N.Y. – The story in this one is simple: not enough second-chance opportunities. Hobart College outrebounded Rochester, 37-3, at the UR end of the floor and that was a big difference in the Statesmen holding on for a 57-53 victory at Bristol Gym on Tuesday evening.
 
It is the first loss of the season for Rochester (5-1). Hobart improved to 3-1.
 
The Statesmen built a lead of as much as 12 points, 42-30, with more than 10 minutes to play. The Yellowjackets charged twice. Rochester ran off a nine-point burst over two minutes: Ross Gang made one of two from the floor, then hit a three-pointer. Ryan Algier, saddled with foul trouble throughout, sank a layup, and Kailan Lee closed the spurt with a three-pointer with 7:54 remaining. The UR deficit was 42-39.
 
Rochester cooled off and Hobart scored six in a row: Jackson Meshanic made a layup, Matt Walsh was 2-2 from the stripe, and Jack Lesure hit a bucket off a fast break. The hosts led, 48-39, with less than four minutes to go. Rochester went on another run: a jumper from Algier, followed by a layup. When Lee connected on another three-pointer, it was 50-46 with 0:40 on the clock.
 
Hobart's Dan Masino was 5-6 from the line in a 15-second span. That helped nail it down, but Rochester kept pace. Masino made two, Lee answered with two. Masino made two more, and Lee responded with a trey. It was a three-point game (54-51) at the 0:20 mark. Masino sank one of two and Gang's layup pulled UR within 55-53 before Tucker Lescoe hit two more free throws to make it final.
 
Lee led Rochester with 11 points. Gang had 10 to accompany three steals, and three assists. Algier managed nine points and six rebounds. Trent Noordsij hit a pair of threes for six points. Brian Amaballino-Perez scored eight points, and Patrick Benka had five. In the first half, Amabalino Perez provided a scoring spark, getting all eight of his points in a span of less than nine minutes.
 
Hobart had two in double figures. Meshanic scored 12 and scrapped for six rebounds. Masino finished with 11 points and four assists. Daniel Cook and Lesure had seven points each.
 
Rochester is off until Saturday when the Yellowjackets host Keuka, Utica College, and Neumann College in the UR/Thanksgiving Invitational. Rochester will play Keuka at 5 pm Saturday. Neumann and Utica play at 7 pm. The third place game is scheduled for 1 pm Sunday, the championship game at 3 pm.