ALBANY, NY – For the first 35 minutes of Tuesday's game, the Hartwick women's basketball team found itself in a dogfight, but a 16-4 run to close the game secured a hard-fought 62-46 victory over host Albany College of Pharmacy. The victory snapped a two-game winless streak against the Panthers and increased the Hawks' win streak to 10 games. It stands as the third-longest string in program history.
            The victory also marks the teams' 18^th win in its last 19 games. Hartwick reaches the 19-win mark for just the 9^th time in 48 years of the women's basketball program and now has the most wins for the program since the 1996-97 season.
            Sophomore Kate Purcell (Buffalo, NY/Mount Mercy Academy) led the way for the Hawks with game-highs 21 points, on 8-of-14 shooting, and 10 rebounds. She added two assists and two steals. Classmate Maria Foglia (Rensselaer, NY/Catholic Central) recorded 17 points and game-highs of five assists and five steals.
            “We were ice cold in the first half,” said Hartwick head coach Missy West. “But, we executed better in the second half and caused some turnovers with our full-court pressure.”
            The Hawks did not shoot the ball particularly well overall, making just 34% of their shots, but they made up for it with a dominating performance on the glass, 48-36, including 25 offensive rebounds turned into 21 Hartwick points. 'Wick also forced 18 Panther turnovers which the Hawks turned into 16 points.
            The first half saw six different lead changes and four ties between the two teams with neither able to gain more than a four-point edge. The Panthers scored five unanswered points to close the half up by a 21-18 margin. The Hawks hit just 22% as a team from the field, including no three-pointers (0-for-7).
            A 12-6 run to begin the second half, capped by a three-pointer from Lee Arduini (Albany, NY/Academy of the Holy Names) with 16:29 remaining would put Hartwick in front for the rest of the night. The game stayed tight, but the Hawks would gain a pair of seven-point leads. Each time, however, the host Panthers would battle back.
            A pair of free throws from Alex Oaks trimmed the Panther deficit to just four points, 46-42, with 5:30 left to play. Purcell would answer with seven straight points for an 11-point, 53-42 lead with only 3:50 left. The Hawks, thanks to three straight three-point plays, put the game away. Foglia, Purcell, and Tracey Koch (Glenmont, NY/Bethlehem) each dropped in a bucket and sank subsequent free throws after ACP fouls in the stretch to preserve the victory.
             Katrina Caulfield (Palmer, MA/Palmer) contributed four points and seven rebounds for Hartwick on the night. Koch finished with seven points and six boards and Carlee Hirt (Beacon, NY/John Jay East Fishkill) added five points and five rebounds, Jo Vincents (Vallensbak, Denmark/Kent School) contributed five points and five boards, and Arduini closed with three points and six rebounds.
            Alyson Johnson scored 15 points and grabbed seven rebounds for the Panthers. Kelsey Johnson added 12 points. 
           “Kate, Maria and Tracey did a great job down the stretch for us,” added West. “It was good effort by the whole team though. I'm happy for them.”
            Hartwick made 22-of-64 shots in the game. ACP hit 16-pf-50 shots (32%).
            The Hawks, who remain in a first-place tie for first in the Empire 8 with three games remaining, stay on the road this weekend for a pair of critical E8 games. The Hawks play Nazareth on Friday night and St. John Fisher Saturday afternoon.