MORRISVILLE, NY – Despite leading for less than eight minutes in the game, Hartwick's men's basketball team battled back from a 10-point second-half deficit to defeat host Morrisville State 67-58 on Saturday at STUAC Gymnasium.
Pat Garey (Johnson City, NY/Johnson City) drained his fourth three-pointer of the game with 1:34 remaining to break a 58-all tie and put the Hawks ahead for good. The three would mark the start of a 9-0 run to end the game for 'Wick.
Garey was the Hawks' leading scorer with 17 points.
Kyle Bradshaw (Tinton Falls, NJ/Manasquan) missed a double-double by a single rebound. He finished with 16 points and nine boards to go along with four treys.
Bobby Connors (Rockville Centre, NY/Chaminade) had a double-double of 15 points and a game-high 11 rebounds.
The Mustangs' Tyrin Miller accounted for half of his team's points in the game. He would net 29, making 10-of-21 from the floor with six three-point baskets. Kevin Dennis also was in double digits with 14.
The game would wrap up with a total of 13 lead changes in a back and forth game. Hartwick out-rebounded Morrisville 40-30, with 13 offensive boards. The Hawks shot 39% (21-for-54) from the field with 11 shots (11-of-31) from downtown. The Mustangs connected on 36% (23-for-64) from the floor and hit seven (7-of-26) from beyond the arc.
Morrisville (3-5) started the game scoring 12 of the first 15 points in the opening 4:10 for a 12-3 lead. A 16-3 run over the next nine minutes, after a three and then a layup from Connors, gave the upper hand to Hartwick, 19-15. The lead changed hands five more times in the half but the Mustangs grabbed the late advantage with a 9-2 spurt with under 90 seconds left to take a 32-27 lead into the break.
Seven of the first nine points to start the second half gave Morrisville its largest lead of the game, 39-29, at the 17:18 mark. The Hawks kept the game close and they took their first lead of the second half at 8:45 on a Bradshaw three-pointer, 46-45. On the Mustangs' next possession, two Miller free throws gave the advantage back to the Mustangs. The lead swelled to seven, 55-48, with just over six minutes left, but a three from Connors, a jumper from Bradshaw, and a triple from Garey within a near two-minute span made it 56-55 Hawks under the four-minute mark.
After Miller made his sixth three-pointer to put his team up 58-56,
Calvin Seward (Bridgeport, CT/Fairchild Wheeler) sank a bucket to tie the score at 2:15. Garey's three 41 seconds later would snap the tie for good.
Austin Haskell (Kirkwood, NY/Susquehanna Valley) contributed seven points and nine rebounds for the Hawks.
Tommy Kelly (Niskayuna, NY/Niskayuna) netted six points and Seward added four points and four rebounds.
Hartwick (6-3) next plays at Division I Binghamton in an exhibition game on Sunday, December 29. Tip-off is 2 p.m.
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