ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. - The Hartwick Men's Basketball team traveled to Bard College for their final contest of 2024, falling to the Raptors in a tight affair on Saturday afternoon.

THE BASICS

• Final Score: Hartwick 90 Bard 98

• Location: Annandale-on-Hudson, N.Y.

• Records: Hartwick (0-8, 0-0 Empire 8) Bard (6-3, 2-1 Liberty League)

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

• The Hawks prepared for a non-conference battle against a Raptor squad fresh off a home conference victory on Thursday night as Hartwick won the opening tip-off.

• After a Hartwick turnover on the opening possesion, Bard was first to get on the scoreboard with a reverse layup from the left baseline.

• Hartwick worked hard for their first bucket of the game as Mike Gitz (Commack, N.Y.) corralled an offensive board and spotted an open Malachi Polson (Bay Shore, N.Y.) on the right wing for the three pointer on the ensuing possession.

• Joey Mclaurin (Mastic Beach, N.Y.) was an instant impact coming off the bench, draining back to back threes to cut the Bard lead down to one.

• With a little over 12 minutes left in the half, Mclaurin continued to go to work, hitting consecutive mid range jumpers to cut into the Raptor lead and tie the game at 19.

• Bard continued to stay ahead until Shane Micallef (Warwick, N.Y.) jumped into the passing lanes and deflected a pass, scooping up the loose ball for the steal and the score to give the Hawks their first lead of the contest.

• Hartwick conceded a five point run to Bard but it was quickly erased as Gitz caught fire, scoring eight straight points via two threes and a jumper as they now trailed by one point.

• Less than seven minutes remained in the action packed first half as the opposition scored in the paint to extend their slim lead back to three.

• Coach Cooper's squad continued to claw and fight as Mclaurin knocked down two consecutive shots from beyond the arc to swing momentum back to the Royal Blue and White.

• The seesaw affair continued as the lead continued to change between both sides with Brian Bonin (Cicero, N.Y.) and Polson knocking down timely buckets to keep the Hawks close.

• With two minutes remaining, Bard continued to try to pull away with short runs but the Hawks continued to execute from downtown as Gitz and Bonin were able to connect to keep the deficit under five before the end of the half.

• The first half had 10 lead changes as the Hawks posted a well rounded performance, knocking down nine threes with Mclaurin leading the scoring with 17.

• Bard led by four and were determined to keep their lead as the Raptors opened the half with three consecutive threes as their lead swelled to ten.

• Gitz continued to light it up from three, knocking down his first three of the half but Bard continued to click on offense, building on their ten point cushion.

• Hartwick fought hard but could not cool off the red hot Raptors, fighting to the end and being able to chip the double digit lead down to single digits but would unfortunately run out of time.

• Mclaurin was stellar on the court, posting career highs of 28 points and seven made three pointers.

• Gitz was efficient on the night, scoring 16 points on 75% field goal percentage. Micallef posted nine points, Bonin and Polson chipped in on offense as well, both contributing eight points.

UP NEXT FOR THE HAWKS

The Hawks will have a break in their schedule before beginning the new year on the road, facing off against SUNY Morrisville on Friday, January 3rd at 5:30 PM.

About Hartwick College:

Hartwick, often referred to as The Life Balance College, is a private liberal arts and sciences institution in Oneonta, N.Y. Through its distinctive FlightPath approach, Hartwick blends academic excellence, career preparation and an active campus life to help students achieve a balanced and fulfilling college experience. With transparent tuition and a focus on health and wellness, Hartwick prepares students for lifelong success—both professionally and personally.