BINGHAMTON, NY – Visiting Hartwick hung around with Division I Binghamton throughout the first half of play on Sunday at Dr. Bai Lee Court. The Bearcats played a dominant second half to top the Hawks by a final score of 97-65.
           
Senior Corey Baker (Granby, MA/Granby) and freshman Kevin Townes (Lagrangeville, NY/Our Lady of Lourdes) both scored 15 points to lead four Hawks in double figures. Baker, who made five three-pointers on the day, hit four in the first half of play to help keep the Hawks close. Senior Marc du Moulin (Altamont, NY/Guilderland) and Brandon LaForest (Cohoes, NY/Cohoes) each chipped in 10 points for 'Wick.
           
In the early proceedings, three-point baskets from Townes and then Baker would hand Hartwick a 9-8 lead after 3:08. Ten straight Binghamton points gave the Bearcats an 18-9 advantage just a few minutes later. A pair of Townes free throws trimmed the gap to four, 24-20, with 8:12 left in the half, but a 15-3 run over the next four minutes turned it into a 16-point, 39-23 Bearcat lead.
           
A 10-0 run for the Hawks over the next 90 seconds got them right back into the contest. Baker started the spurt with a three-pointer followed by a Townes layup. Du Moulin then dropped in a layup and Baker hit his fourth trey of the half to make it a 39-33 game with under two minutes before the halftime horn.
           
A LaForest three-pointer at the 1:12 mark got the Hawks closer, 41-36, before Binghamton scored the final four points for a 45-36 score line at the break.
           
The Bearcats came out firing in the second half, registering three straight dunks in the first 1:22. They would use a 19-6 run to start the half, shooting 7-of-10 from the floor with a pair of three-pointers, to open up the game, 64-42.
           
After a Townes bucket cut the deficit to 21 points with 14:44 left in the game, another 9-0 run for the hosts pushed the advantage to 32 points, 78-46, with just over 12 minutes left on the clock. Baker's sixth three-pointer cut the margin to 27 at the midway point but it would as close as the Hawks would get.
           
The Hawks finished the game making 42.4% (25-for-59) from the floor with the host Bearcats connecting on 52.7% (39-for-74). 'Wick hit 10 three-pointers in the contest. Binghamton held the edge on the glass, 42-35, and out-scored the Hawks in the paint, 56-26.
           
Baker shot 5-of-8 from the floor and 5-of-6 from beyond the three-point arc. He also tied for a game-high with four steals. Townes hit two from downtown and tied for a team-high with five rebounds. Laforest knocked down a pair of threes while du Moulin shot 4-of-5 from the floor and pulled down four boards.
           
Thomas Bruce led BU with 23 points. He would make all 10 of his field-goal attempts on the day and he added a game-high eight rebounds. Everson Davis contributed 17 points. Fard Muhammad and Willie Rodriguez each scored nine. Timmy Rose had a game-high seven assists.
           
Hartwick hosts city rival SUNY Oneonta at Lambros Arena on Tuesday at 8 p.m. The Hawks have defeated the Red Dragons in six of the last seven meetings, including last season's 85-83 win.