ONEONTA, N.Y. – The Hawks were unable to keep up with the Red Dragons down the stretch, falling 100-87 in the annual Battle of the Hills matchup with SUNY Oneonta on Wednesday night.
 
THE BASICS
 

• Final Score:  Hartwick 87, Oneonta 100
• Location:  Oneonta, N.Y.
• Records:  Hartwick (0-2 Overall), Oneonta (1-0 Overall)

 
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
 

• The 2024 edition of "The Battle of the Hills" opened up as a back-and-forth battle with the lead changing hands five times throughout the first 10 minutes of play.
• The Red Dragons gradually took control from that point on, picking up a 14-point lead with 3:08 remining in the half.
• However, the Hawks battled their way back into the game behind the hot hand of Joey Mclaurin (Mastic Beach, N.Y.) to get within nine by the end of the first half.
• Mclaurin led all Hartwick scorers in the half, pouring in 14 points on six for nine shooting.
• After the Red Dragons held their lead steady at 10 points, the Hawks made a run between the 17-minute mark and the 15-minute mark to get within three.
• Oneonta put a halt to Hartwick's run eventually pulling out to a 15-point lead with just under ten minutes remaining in regulation.
• The Hawks would not go away quietly as Mike Gitz (Commack, N.Y.) shot Hartwick back into the contest, hitting two big threes with under five minutes remaining to get within 10.
• Unfortunately, the Hawks were unable to gain any more traction from there, ultimately falling 100-87.
• The Hawks had four players finish in double digits with Mclaurin leading the attack with 23 points.
• After getting hot from behind the arc in the second half, Gitz finished with 18 points.
• Brian Bonin (Cicero, N.Y.) and Malachi Polson (Bay Shore, N.Y.) finished with 11 and 10 respectively.

 
UP NEXT FOR THE HAWKS
 
The Hawks head out on their first road trip of the young season, heading to Madison, New Jersey on Friday to take on the FDU-Florham Devils at 7 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.