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ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- Hobart used a 22-7 scoring run in the second half and finished 6 of 6 from the free throw line in the final 33 seconds to hold off Nazareth, 72-63, and claim the men's title in the Wendy's Classic Saturday evening, played at RIT. Senior Jason Corletta and junior Tyshun Stephens earned all-tournament honors for the Golden Flyers.

Following the loss, Nazareth drops to 5-2 overall. The Golden Flyers advanced to the championship game after defeating 12th-ranked Rochester Friday evening. With the victory, the Statesmen remain undefeated in the 2011 season with a 6-0 record. The Statesmen advanced to the title game with a basket in the final seconds to defeat Brockport on Friday.

After surrendering the decisive scoring run to Hobart and falling behind 59-53 with 6:28 remaining in regulation, the Golden Flyers closed to within one point, 64-63, about four minutes later. The Statesmen answered with a basket by Richie Bonnie, then forced Nazareth into a missed shot on the Golden Flyers' ensuing possession.

Still trailing by a point, Nazareth's relentless defense forced Hobart into a turnover with 1:25 left to play. The Golden Flyers' offense, however, was unable to take the lead. The Statesmen's proficiency at the charity stripe in the final 33 seconds secured Hobart's victory. Over the course of the game, the Statesmen finished 17 of 18 from the free throw line to hold off Nazareth.

Coming out of the break, the Golden Flyers opened the second half with a 9-3 scoring run to claim a 45-37 lead 3:53 into the second period. Senior Phil Scaffidi opened the run with a three-point basket, followed by a layup by junior Dan Waldbillig. Sophomore Brad Ford and Waldbillig each added a free throw before Stephens finished the run with a two-point jumper.

Nazareth scored the first five points of the game as Scaffidi and Ford each hit their first shots of the game. The first half featured six lead changes as neither team was able to build a first half lead larger than the Golden Flyers' 5-0 start. Waldbillig scored the final basket of the half to give Nazareth a 36-34 lead at the break.

Stephens finished with a team-high 17 points, followed by 15 points by Waldbillig. Waldbillig also amassed 12 rebounds to help the Golden Flyers finish with a 35-30 advantage in total rebounds. Scaffidi and Corletta added 11 points and eight points, respectively. Ford finished with seven points and 10 rebounds.

Hobart held Nazareth to 39 percent (25-64) from the field, including 27 percent (6-22) from beyond the arc. The Statesmen were 47 percent (23-49) from the field, including a torrid 60 percent (9-15) on their three-point attempts.

Stefan Thompson had 17 points for Hobart and earned MVP honors. Matt Pebole and Bonnie also received all-tournament honors for the Statesmen. Bonnie finished with 16 points while Pebole had 13 points and 12 rebounds. Greg Stern added 10 points to be the fourth Hobart player in double figures.

The Golden Flyers play their next five games on the road, beginning with a non-conference game at Roberts Wesleyan on December 7th. Nazareth returns to the Kidera Gymnasium for a non-conference game against Wells on January 10th.