GENEVA, NY – The University of Rochester men's basketball team mounted a furious rally late in the game, trimming a 13-point lead down to one, but ultimately fell by a 66-61 score to host Hobart College on Tuesday evening at Bristol Gymnasium.
 
Rochester (5-2), used its full court pressure and benefitted from some Statesmen free throw misses to embark on a 19-7 run in the final four minutes to get within one point with just 20 seconds on the clock.
 
Hobart's Alex Moesch sank two clutch free throws with just eight seconds remaining and on the ensuing inbounds play, Carter Meshanic got a big steal and drained two more from the charity stripe to seal the game away.
 
Rochester's late game rally was fueled by three players, with Ethan McEachern scoring seven points and Nate Sock and Logan Jagodzinski each adding six.
 
The comeback began with a Sock 3-pointer to make it a 10-point game, 55-45 with 3:33 remaining in the game.
 
After Hobart (4-2) hit 1-of-2 free throws, Rochester scored eight of the next nine points to get within four. Jagodzinski made four free throws, with McEachern sinking two and capping the run with a floater from the baseline off a Sock assist.
 
Corvin Oprea got a big steal to give UR possession, with the Yellowjackets press also forcing a 5-second violation along with burning multiple timeouts when trying to inbound the ball.
 
The Statesmen got a big 3-pointer from Moesch along the right wing with 1:27 left, but just 10 seconds later at the other end, Sock hit a big shot from distance to make the score 60-56.
 
UR fouled and Hobart missed the front end of the one-and-one, allowing the Yellowjackets a chance to tie. McEachern decided to drive and hit a pull-up jumper to make it a one-point game with 1:05 on the clock.
 
Hobart's next possession saw Moesch make a driving layup inside to regain a 3-point spread, but Rochester still had a life with the game being a one-possession margin.
 
From the top of the key, Jagodzinski launched a 3-pointer that missed, but was fouled in the process, sending the senior to the line for three shots. The opening attempt missed, but Jagodzinski made the next two to make the score 62-61 with just 20 seconds remaining.
 
The Statesmen were able to break the press shortly after calling a timeout near midcourt, with Moesch and Meshanic sealing the game away in the final seconds.
 
Rochester's Sock finished with a team-high 15 points, making 6-of-10 field goals, including 3-of-4 from long range. Jagodzinski and McEachern each added 13 points, with Jagodzinski chipping in five rebounds and three blocks.
 
C. Meshanic led all players with 17 points in the victory, while Moesch finished with 16. Hunter Meshanic also hit double-figure scoring, ending with 12 points.
 
Hobart ended with a big lead on the boards, outrebounding Rochester 48-30 during the contest. The Statesmen also turned 15 offensive rebounds into 14 second chance points, compared to just three for Rochester.
 
After Hobart jumped out to an early 7-0 lead, Rochester hit all three of its first three shots from long range to match the hosts after five minutes had elapsed, with a Sock triple knotting the game at 11-all.
 
Camden Fleming sank a layup with 12:29 left in the half to cut the Hobart lead down to two, but Rochester was held without a field goal for the next eight minutes, allowing the Statesmen go on an 8-2 run, building a cushion on the scoreboard.
 
At the break, Hobart led 29-20, with both teams shooting below 40%.
 
In the second half, the Statesmen were able to maintain a lead between six and ten points until Moesch and H. Meschanic hit back-to-back buckets to reach Hobart's game-high 13-point lead, at 55-42.
 
Hobart captures its third straight victory in the all-time series between the two schools, its first since the series started back in 1901-02 season. The series has been dominated by Rochester overall though, with the Yellowjackets winning 108 of the 143 all-time meetings.