Geneva, NY – For the past seven seasons, the Clarkson University Men’s Basketball team has struggled at Hobart College, and the Statesmen extended the streak for the Golden Knights as the Green and Gold fell 75-61 in Liberty League action Friday night.

Clarkson dropped to 8-3 on the season and 1-1 in conference games and the Knights will take on RIT on Saturday afternoon. Hobart improved to 9-2 overall and 2-0 in the Liberty League.

The Knights fell behind early as Hobart came out strong offensively, making seven of their first eight shots to rush out to a double-digit lead. Meanwhile, Clarkson got off to a slow start, allowing the Statesmen a 19-point lead (24-5) in the first eight minutes. The Knights were able to pull back to within 13 points, but again trailed by 20 points near the close of the half before rallying back to put the deficit at 15 points at intermission.

Senior Jerry Coleman (Potsdam, NY) was one of the few Clarkson players able to put points on the board, producing 13 points on 5-for-10 shooting to go along with five rebounds. Hobart’s five starters combined for 28 points, and the Statesmen made only three turnovers in the opening 20 minutes.

Early on in the second half, Clarkson appeared poised to get back into the contest, as a fastbreak lay in from John Coleman (Potsdam, NY) had the Knights within 10 points, 41-31. However, Clarkson’s next three possessions consisted of a pair of turnovers and a missed shot while Hobart accumulated eight points to gain a significant advantage once again. Following a free throw from Stefan Thompson, the Statesmen led by 22 points, but 3-pointers from Tyler Barron (Burlington, VT) and Felix Llanos (Queens, NY) temporarily stopped the run. Regardless of what the Knights did offensively, they were unable to hold down Hobart’s efficient offense with limited its turnovers and earned plenty of additional chances with key offensive rebounds. Combined, Hobart scored 36 points off Clarkson turnovers and on offensive rebounds, while the Knights had just 11 points in similar situations.

Jerry Coleman finished with a game-high 20 points, shooting 8-for-17 from the field, with seven rebounds. Sophomore Marques Charlton (Deer Park, NY) added in 14 points, going 4-for-5 from the floor and 5-for-5 from the free throw line, along with five assists. For Hobart, Matt Pebole scored 16 points and Stefan Thompson added 14 points, shooting 6-for-8 from the field.