SCHENECTADY, NY – A big shooting performance in the second half by Union led to an 82-62 defeat for the Hartwick College men's basketball team at Viniar Athletic Center in Schenectady Saturday. The Dutchmen shot 60% from the floor and nailed 8-of-13 three-point attempts in the half to pull away from the Hawks.
Freshman guard
Brandon LaForest (Cohoes, NY/Cohoes) scored a team-high 13 points in his first game in a Hartwick uniform.
Trevor Norton (Mullica Hill, NJ/Ursinus College) added 11 points and eight rebounds.
Joey Lufkin (Argyle, NY/Argyle) scored 10 points and
Matt Wilson (Shelton, CT/Franklin & Marshall College) grabbed a game-high 10 boards.
The first half was a close battle between the two teams with seven lead changes and five tie scores. Following a jumper from Norton with 3:23 left which put the Hawks up 24-22, the Dutchmen would go 5-for-5 with a trio of three-point baskets over the next two minutes to grab a 35-26 edge. A LaForest free throw made it an eight-point gap at halftime.
The Hawks would trim the deficit to just three points early in the second half. But later in the period, Union would hit another six consecutive shots from the field, including a pair of treys, to build the margin to 20 points, 61-41.
The Union lead would grow to as many as 26 on two occasions the rest of the way. Seventeen points was as close as the Hawks would get.
Hartwick ended the game shooting 37% (20-for-54) as a team. They knocked down nine three-pointers.
LaForest connected on three three-pointers for the Hawks with Norton and
Matt Knezovic (Ballston Lake, NY/Mansfield University) each making two. Knezovic finished the day with eight points.
Union shot 53.4% (31-for-58) from the floor and 48% (12-for-25) from three-point range. Deshon Burgess poured in 27 points and hit six three's for the Dutchmen. William Hython added 13 and Garrett Johnson scored 11.
Hartwick plays next Saturday, November 21 at the Muhlenberg Scotty Wood Tournament. The Hawks open play against Alvernia beginning at 3 p.m.
