The Middlebury men's basketball team utilized a decisive run late in the second half to pull away from Nichols 91-80 on the final day of the Rick Martin Hampton Inn Classic. The Panthers won the event recording a perfect 2-0 record in a tournament that featured pre-set pairings in all four games.
 
HIGHLIGHTS

• Middlebury opened the contest with a 6-2 burst capped by a layup from Alex Sobel.
• The game was tied five times before either team could regain a quality lead. Knotted at 21 points apiece with 7:47 left in the half, the Panthers rattled off 11 of the next 13 points, including a dunk from Sobel, over the ensuing 4:40 to take a 32-24 advantage. 
• The Bison answered with a 6-0 spurt, cutting the deficit to 32-30 with just under two minutes to go.
• Middlebury tallied four of the final five points to grab a 36-31 lead heading into the halftime break.
• Out of the intermission, the Panthers increased their advantage to double digits, making it 45-35 with 17:06 remaining. 
• Nichols slowly chipped away at the deficit, taking a 53-50 lead on a fastbreak layup from Nate Duckworth with 12:07 left on the clock.
• Trailing by three points (62-59) with just over eight minutes to go in the contest, Middlebury went on its decisive 20-2 run. Sam Stevens sparked the span with a three-pointer and accounted for eight of the points, helping the Panthers take a 79-64 advantage with 2:11 remaining. 
• The Bison fouled down the stretch, but the Panthers were a perfect 12-12 at the charity stripe to secure the 91-80 victory. 

NOTES

• Sobel tallied his second double-double of the weekend, putting up 21 points and grabbing 15 boards. The Panther blocked eight shots throughout the tournament, moving him into fourth on Middlebury's career list with 165. Sobel was named to the all-tournament team. 
• Stevens paced the team with 22 points, while Noah Osher also eclipsed the 20-point plateau with 21 during the win.