SCHENECTADY, N.Y. - Even after two game-winning three-pointers earlier this season, sophomore Matthew Garside had to remind yet another team that he just has that clutch gene.
The sophomore sunk the game-winning three-pointer with less than a second left in overtime to propel the fourth-seeded Union College men's basketball team to a thrilling 83-80 (OT) victory over fifth-seeded Hobart College in the first round of the 2025 Liberty League Tournament, held on Tuesday night at Viniar Athletic Center.
Garside finished the game with a career-high 29 points, hitting 10-of-15 shots from the field and 6-of-11 from long range, matching his career high in three-pointers. Classmates Tanner Tedesco and Jack Plesser added 17 and 15 points, respectively, as Union advances to the Liberty League Tournament semifinals to face off with top-seeded Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute on Friday.
Garside's winner capped a wild final minute of overtime that saw the teams score on their last four possessions. Hobart (16-9) tied the game at 78 with 54 seconds left on a layup in traffic by Carter Meshanic, but Plesser got a tough offensive rebound in traffic on the next possession and hit two free throws to put Union back in front. A slashing layup by Aidan Rodgers knotted the score again at 80 with 10 seconds left, but Garside took the inbounds pass and dribbed up the court before stopping just inside the three-point arc, stepping back and letting loose a shot that went with 0.8 seconds left for the game-winner.
In a change, it wasn't Garside but Tedesco who provided the big shot to send the game into overtime, as the sophomore slashed through the lane to get two points and tie the score at 72 with six seconds left in regulation. Union then played tough defense that forced an off-balance three by Aidan Rodgers at the buzzer that did not fall.
The late-game heroics seemed out of reach for much of the first half for Union, as Hobart controlled play and led by as many as 14 points after a Monty Nedd layup put the Statesmen up 29-15. The lead was still 13 with 4:05 left before the Garnet Chargers went on a crucial 11-0 run late in the half, which allowed the home team to go into the break down just five at 35-30.
A 9-3 run to start the second half put the home team back ahead after a layup by sophomore Brendan Reid with 16:18 on the clock, and Union led by as many as five after a three from sophomore Will Yakoobian with 13:07 left made the score 47-42. The lead exchanged hands seven times in the next six minutes, with the visitors building up a 68-63 lead with 3:35 to go after a Hunter Meshanic bucket. However, a Garside three got it back to a one-possession game, and key baskets from Garside and Plesser in the final three minutes helped keep Union in range for Tedesco to eventually tie the score at the end of regulation.
In overtime, Plesser and Reid hit huge three-pointers to give Union the lead with under two minutes to go, setting the stage for more Garside last-second magic.
After battling through a tough first half, Union shot 15-of-30 in the second half and 3-of-7 in overtime to finish the game at 43.5 percent from the field, compared to 45.7 percent for Hobart.