SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – The Union College men's basketball team closed the game on a 16-4 run over the final seven minutes to pull away from Hobart College and earn a critical 70-61 victory on Friday night at Viniar Athletic Center.
 
The victory was crucial in the Dutchmen's hopes for a postseason berth, as Union (10-11, 7-8 Liberty League) jumps up into a tie for fifth place with St. Lawrence University, 1.5 games back of fourth-place Skidmore College (8-6) and half a game ahead of seventh-place Hobart (9-12, 6-8 Liberty League) with three games to go.
 
All four active seniors had big efforts on Senior Night, led by Brian Noone with a team-leading 17 points, nine rebounds and three steals. Mike Manley added 15 points – including a perfect 8-of-8 effort from the charity stripe – while Temi George and Chris Lovisolo chipped in seven points apiece and helped to limited Hobart's effectiveness in the paint.
 
Hobart jumped out to an early 6-2 lead behind three buckets from Jackson Meshanic, but the home team responded with a 10-1 run and never trailed for the remainder of the opening half. The Dutchmen led by as many as eight when Noone sunk a layup with 6:50 remaining to make the score 21-13, but Hobart battled back to knot the score at 29 before two free throws each from Manley and Noone in the final minute sent the Dutchmen into the locker rooms with a 33-29 edge.
 
A string of 10 straight points early in the second half – led by four from junior Justin Regis and three each from classmate Connor Cepiel and Noone – gave Union its largest lead of the night at 46-33 with 15:35 left. However, the Statesmen stormed back with a 19-3 run over a seven-minute span that turned the tides and put Hobart up 52-49 with 8:29 remaining.
 
After the teams traded baskets for the next few minutes, the Union defense finally stood up and took control down the stretch. The Dutchmen held the Statesmen without a field goal (0-for-9) for the final 7:06 and outscored the visitors 16-4, helped by 4-of-7 shooting from the field and a 7-of-9 effort from the line. George had five straight points during a crucial 9-0 run that put Union back on top for good, while seven free throws from Manley, Noone and Lovisolo were enough to seal the victory.
 
Union finished the game shooting 41.5 percent (22 of 53) from the field, but limited Hobart to just nine second-chance points and held its ground in the rebounding department to reverse the result from the teams' last meeting. Hobart finished the evening shooting just 32.8 percent (21 of 64) from the field, including 3-of-19 from long range.
 
Union will close out the home regular-season slate on Monday, when the Dutchmen host Rochester Institute of Technology beginning at 5:30 p.m. at Viniar Athletic Center.