MIAMI, FL – Hartwick's women's basketball team fought its way to a 38-35 deficit at the half against FDU-Florham (7-2), but the Devils used a big third quarter, out-scoring the Hawks 23-11, to defeat 'Wick 73-59 in the opening game of the HoopMIA D3 Holiday Shootout in Miami, FL on Sunday afternoon.
           
Jacqui Foreman (Tolland, CT/Tolland) paced the Hawks with a double-double of 15 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. Sarah Shaw (Franklin, MA/Franklin) and Anna Hickey (Falmouth, ME/Falmouth) each hit a trio of three-pointers to finish with nine points apiece.
           
Hartwick would out-rebound the Devils by a margin of 46-38 in the game. The Hawks shot 32.8% (19-for-58) as a group and 34.6% (9-for-26) from three-point range in the contest. FDU made 39.7% (25-for-63) from the floor.
           
The Hawks would fall behind early, 7-2, before two buckets from LeeAnne Green (Windsor, CT/Watkinson School) and a three from Shaw would hand 'Wick its first lead at 9-7 with 5:32 left in the opening quarter. Another triple from Shaw at the 2:50 mark evened the score at 15 before the Devils scored the final seven points of the quarter for a 22-15 edge.
           
In the second quarter, the Hawks fell behind by as many as 15 points, but the Hawks would score the final nine points of the period to pull to within three points, 38-35, at halftime.
           
In the third, FDU out-scored the Hawks 16-4 in the opening five and a half minutes to surge ahead. The deficit would grow to as many as 17 before ending up 61-46 in the Devils' favor.
           
The Hawks trimmed the gap to 10 points twice in the fourth quarter. The first came at 3:29 on a three from Hickey and the second after a pair of free throws from Foreman at 1:21. But FDU would close it out from the line as it connected on 4-of-4 down the stretch for the victory.
           
Green would finish the game with six points and eight rebounds for the Hawks. Caitlin Corbett (Altamont, NY/Guilderland) contributed six points and team-highs of four assists and three steals.
           
Liz Harvey (Berne, NY/Berne-Knox-Westerloo HS) added seven points. Rhiannon Groll (Red Bank, NJ/Boonton) netted five.
           
The Devils, who are just three years removed from winning the national championship in 2014, received 19 points apiece from Kendrea Williams and Taiah Thornton. Alyssa Mcdonough was also in double figures with 14 points.
           
Hartwick (3-4) plays again in Miami tomorrow against Eastern University. Tip-off is 2 p.m.