HOUGHTON, NY – A 7-0 Hartwick run to start the third quarter opened up a 12-point lead for the Hawks and they led by at least six the rest of the way in a 55-45 victory over Houghton at the Nielsen Center on Saturday. The Hawks have now won two straight and improve to 8-10 overall and 6-4 in the Empire 8 Conference. They remain in fifth place, one game behind fourth-place Ithaca and Nazareth.
Caitlin Corbett (Altamont, NY/Guilderland) led 'Wick with 15 points.
Taylor Vonasek (Willington, CT/E.O. Smith) followed with 12 points.
Jessica Bellai (Schenectady, NY/Schalmont) contributed eight points and she registered game-highs of seven assists and five steals.
After a back and forth seven and a half minutes in the first quarter with three ties and five lead changes,
Jacqui Foreman (Tolland, CT/Tolland) sank a layup which put the Hawks in front for good, 14-12, with 1:48 left. The Hawks earned a six-point edge, 22-16, in the second quarter on a Vonasek layup before taking a 29-24 advantage at the half.
Layups from Foreman, Vonasek, and Bellai on the Hawks' first three possessions of the third quarter would help break the game open for 'Wick. The Hawks led by 11 heading into the fourth, 42-31.
An
Emily Stone (Granby, CT/Granby Memorial) layup nine seconds into the fourth increased the margin to 13 points before the Highlanders trimmed it to seven, 48-41, with 6:26 still left to go. Neither team would manage a point for the next five minutes of action. Houghton cut the Hartwick lead to six twice in the final minute but the Hawks made their final seven free throws to secure the victory.
Foreman finished the game with six points and seven rebounds for the Hawks. Stone added seven points.
Christina Graziadei (Oriskany, NY/Oriskany) chipped in with five points and five boards.
'Wick shot 42.6% (20-for-47) from the floor in the game. It held Houghton to 32% shooting (16-for-50).
Hartwick is off for the next six days until it travels to Alfred University on Friday, February 5.
