SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – The Hawks picked up their first win of the 2023-24 season on Sunday afternoon, defeating Elms 72-71 in the Sig Makofski Invitational hosted by Union College.
 
THE BASICS
 

• Final Score: Hartwick 72, Elms 71
• Location: Schenectady, N.Y.
• Records: Hartwick (1-5 Overall), Elms (2-6 Overall)

 
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
 

• Cooper Francis (Lynbrook, N.Y.) tallied nine of the squad's first 13 points, giving the Hawks a quick 13-2 advantage over Elms.
• However, the Blazers would slowly chip away at Hartwick's lead eventually getting within one just over mid-way through the first half.
• With the score 25-24, the Hawks turned to the hot hand of Daniel Oyediran (Madison, N.J.) who proceeded to notch 12 straight points down low and from the line.
• Henry Perkin's (Albany, N.Y.) hit a layup with 38 seconds remaining to give the Hawks a 39-35 advantage heading into halftime.
• Francis and Oyediran picked off where they left off in the first half, but the Chargers would not let up eventually overtaking the Hawks late in the second half.
• Down by five with 2:20 remaining, Kevin Felasco (Liverpool, N.Y.) sparked the comeback, drilling a three to get the Hawks within two.
• Hartwick's offense would stall briefly, but so would the offense of Elms, giving the Hawks a chance with just under a minute remaining.
• With 46 seconds remaining, Felasco secured the defensive rebound off of a Chargers missed three-point attempt and was able to connect with Francis on the fastbreak.
• Francis was fouled on the attempt, but was able to convert one of two free throws to get within one.
• With the seconds ticking away, Tarrell Cumberbatch (Brooklyn, N.Y.) came up with a big steal with 10 seconds remaining in the contest allowing the Hawks to call a timeout to set up their next possession.
• After locking down defensively to secure the final possession, Cumberbatch hit the game-winner with a jumper in the paint with one second on the clock to give Hartwick the 72-71 win.
• Three Hawks scored in double figures with Oyediran leading the way with 20 points, including a perfect 7 for 7 from the line.  The sophomore was also named to the All-Tournament Team for his efforts across the two games of the invitational.
• Francis followed with 18 points while Felasco ended with 14 points.

 
UP NEXT FOR THE HAWKS
 
The Hawks will look to build on this momentum as they turn their attention to their first weekend of Empire 8 play on Friday and Saturday.  Hartwick will open conference play at home against St. John Fisher University at 7:30 PM on Friday in Lambros Arena.
 
HARTWICK COLLEGE
 
One of the oldest colleges in the country, Hartwick has continually evolved for 225 years. The College's exciting new chapter is called FlightPath, a future-focused approach to education. Offering a distinctive blend of curricular, co-curricular and real-world work experiences, FlightPath builds on Hartwick's long history of integrating broad-based studies with experiential learning.
 
Hartwick College is a nationally ranked independent college of the arts and sciences located in picturesque Oneonta, NY, in the northern foothills of the Catskill Mountains. The College offers 35 courses of study leading to a bachelor of arts or bachelor of science degree, two master's degrees in the sciences, and a graduate certificate in nursing education. For more information, visit www.Hartwick.edu.