HOUGHTON, N.Y. – The Hawks outlasted the Highlanders for a critical Empire 8 win on Saturday afternoon, defeating Houghton 74-69.
 
THE BASICS
 

• Final Score: Hartwick 74, Houghton 69
• Location: Houghton, N.Y.
• Records: Hartwick (8-14 Overall, 7-9 Empire 8), Houghton (5-18 Overall, 4-12 Empire 8)

 
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
 

• The contest remained low-scoring for the first part of the first half, with only 10 points being scored between the two squads through the first six plus minutes of play.
• Both teams got things going offensively as the half progressed, with Houghton holding a slight lead over the Hawks until Kevin Felasco (Liverpool, N.Y.) knotted the score up at 29-29 with fast-break layup with 2:39 remaining in the opening frame.
• Hartwick would end the opening half leading the Highlanders 37-31.
• Houghton pressured the Hawks every step of the way in the second half, briefly taking the lead with just under four minutes to go.
• However, Cooper Francis (Lynbrook, N.Y.) reclaimed the lead for Hartwick, hitting a left wing three thirty seconds.
• The Hawks went on to stay just one step ahead of the Highlanders for the final three minutes to claim the critical Empire 8 victory, 74-69.
• Francis had another big night for Hartwick, recording his 6^th double-double of the season with 21 points and 12 rebounds.
• Bobby Connors (Rockville Centre, N.Y.) posted his 4^th double-double of the season with 13 points and 10 boards.
• Felasco rounded out the double-digit scorers for the Hawks with 14 points.

 
UP NEXT FOR THE HAWKS
 
The Hawks head home to finish out their 2022-2023 regular season campaign, hosting the Nazareth College Golden Flyers on Friday night at 7:30 PM.
 
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.