Game Program

    POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (January 17, 2014) – The Vassar College men's basketball team butted heads with Liberty League opponent, the Hobart College Statesmen to an unfortunate, 63-61 loss on Friday evening at the Athletics and Fitness Center.

The Brewers (9-3, 1-2) were given a pregame disadvantage when the Statesmen (9-4, 3-1) were awarded a pair of technical foul free throws before tip. Despite the 2-0 advantage to start the game, Vassar rallied behind a 52 percent field goal first half shooting and were also 57.1 percent from the three-point arc and 80 percent from the free throw line.

The Brewers entered halftime with a solid 34-29 performance led by sophomore guard Johnny Mrlik's (San Francisco, CA/St. Ignatius College Preparatory) 13 points and four rebounds. The advantage was present due to a Vassar 18-9 run that spanned just under nine minutes in the first half. Mrlik hit eight of his 13 points in the run while being supplemented by junior forward Alex Snyder's (Rutland, VT/Rutland) five points as well as another five from three more Brewers.

Hobart started the second half with a countering 13-4 run that was keyed by Richie Bonney, Connor Rehbaum, Andrew Hoy and Joe Gibbons.

Vassar fought back for the remaining 14:03 of the game with the slight advantage in scoring, 24-21. Unfortunately, with three seconds remaining, the Brewers were unable to get a clean inbound for a chance at the three-point attempt that was needed to tie the game, having being down 61-58 after Trey Blanding only hit one of his one-and-one free throws for Hobart.

Mrlik scored 24 of Vassar's points on Friday. His efforts were good enough for a game-high as he was also second on the team with six boards while dishing out two assists and receiving two steals.

Sophomore guard Erikson Wasyl (Durham, CT/Coginchaug) led the game with three steals while tying for most assists with three. He also added seven tallies to the scoreboard and pulled in three rebounds. Snyder was the Brewer's top rebounder with seven and the game-high shot-blocker with three stuffs.

Hobart was led by Bonney's 18 points and 12 rebounds. He was joined in the double-digit scoring column by Rehbaum's 17 points and Gibbons' 11.

The Brewers will next host the Tigers of Rochester Institute of Technology tomorrow afternoon at 4:00 pm. The Statesmen will travel to Annandale-on-Hudson to face the Bard College Raptors at 4:00 pm tomorrow as well.