Women's Basketball 1/8/2010 10:12:29 PM Chris Gondek, Hartwick SID

Hawks Edge Alfred for 2nd Empire 8 Win

Women's Basketball 1/8/2010 10:12:29 PM Chris Gondek, Hartwick SID

Hawks Edge Alfred for 2nd Empire 8 Win

          ONEONTA, NY – Hartwick led by as many as 13 points in the second half and held on late to earn their fourth victory overall and second in the Empire 8 with a 57-54 win over visiting Alfred University (5-6, 0-3 E8). The win snaps a four-game winless streak for the Hawks and avenges an earlier season loss by 21 points to the Saxons.
          Hartwick received a balanced scoring attack with three players in double figures. Seniors Heather Pruchansky (Naples, FL/Community School of Naples) and Cassie Dresser (Ovid, NY/South Seneca) each scored 12 points to pace the Hawks. Lauren Ploof (Hammond, NY/Hammond) added 10 points and Jalicia Connell (Westbury, NY/Hicksville) netted nine and grabbed a team-high nine rebounds.
          The Saxons got 24 points from Lyndsay Murphy. Autumn McLain recorded 12 points and pulled down a game-high 17 rebounds.
          Hartwick led for much of the first half of play and gained a seven-point edge on a Dresser layup with 1:47 left for its biggest lead of the period. Four straight Murphy free throws in the final two minutes would cut the Hartwick halftime lead to three points, 25-22.
          The 'Wick defense would force 18 Saxon turnovers in the opening 20 minutes of play and Dresser, Fritzi Flores (Bergenfield, NJ/Paramus), and Connell combined for 19 points.
          Hartwick's lead grew to 13 points, 39-26, thanks to a 14-4 run to start the second half. Later in the period, a 6-0 Alfred spurt cut the 'Wick edge to five, 45-40, with less than seven minutes to play and five straight points from Murphy in a 40-second span made the score 53-49 with 1:46 showing on the clock.
          The Hawks clung to a four-point lead with under a minute left until a long Murphy three-pointer with 29 ticks remaining cut the deficit to a single point, 55-54. The Saxons fouled sending Dresser to the line and the senior calmly drained a pair from the line to extend the Hartwick advantage to three. Murphy's two long-range three-point efforts to tie the game with less than 20 seconds left wouldn't fall for Alfred and the Hawks earned the victory.
          Hartwick finished the game shooting 40% (18-for-45) from the field. The Saxons hit 36.7% (18-for-49). Alfred outrebounded 'Wick by a wide margin of 42-26 but the Saxons committed 28 turnovers in the contest.
          Hartwick travels to Stevens (6-5, 4-1 E8) on Sunday for another Empire 8 game. Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m. at Walker Gymnasium in Hoboken, NJ.

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