ONEONTA, N.Y. - The Hartwick Men's Basketball team hosted SUNY Geneseo for a conference thriller, as the Hawks were able to put together a strong second half to defeat the Knights.

THE BASICS

• Final Score: SUNY Geneseo 68 Hartwick 70 

• Location: Oneonta, N.Y.

• Records: SUNY Geneseo (4-8, 1-2 Empire 8) Hartwick (2-10, 2-1 Empire 8) 

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

• The Hawks match up with new Empire 8 foe, SUNY Geneseo as both teams looked to pick up their second conference win of the season.

• Mike Gitz (Commack, N.Y.) was able to catch the Knight defense off guard, scoring a driving layup, coming off the backdoor cut with a perfect bounce pass from Henry Perkins (Albany, N.Y.) to open the contest.

• The Knights went on a five point spurt before Perkins was able to get on the scoreboard with a bucket in the painted area.

• Gitz knocked down his first three of the afternoon, coming off the feed from Malachi Polson (Bay Shore, N.Y.) to tie the game at seven, three minutes in.

• Hartwick trailed by two possessions for several minutes as Geneseo attempted to pull away but the Hawks would not be deterred.

• The Royal Blue and White began to push the pace as Joey McLaurin (Mastic Beach, N.Y.) corralled a Knight miss and handed it off to Isaiah Thomas (Manitou Springs, CO) who connected on a fast break three pointer for his first bucket of the contest to bring the Hawks within two.

• Brian Bonin (Cicero, N.Y.) was a constant driving force, causing the Knight defense to crash towards him, earning him a trip to the charity stripe. Bonin connected on both his free throws to pull Wick within one with seven minutes and 45 seconds left on the clock.

• Thomas connected on another three pointer, this time from Bonin to give the Hawks the lead back.

• Geneseo scored eight straight to give them the lead as the first half came to a close but the Hawks were still well within reach.

• The Hawks came soaring out the gates in the second half as Gitz erupted for 11 points, draining three three pointers and a pull up jumper to ignite the squad and bring them within one.

• Xymier Thomas (Binghamton, N.Y.) kept the Hawks rolling with a pivotal and-one play to put the Hawks up two before a Knight timeout.

• I. Thomas had the hot hand from downtown, scooping a long offensive rebound and draining the three point attempt.

• Hartwick conceded another run to Geneseo, falling behind as much as eight but were determined to stay in and battle to the end.

• I. Thomas connected on yet another fast break three and a driving layup to jumpstart the comeback attempt. McLaurin connected on a huge three and Bonin chimed in with timely buckets as the Hawks trailed by two minutes left.

• Bonin continued to put his veteran presence on display, coming through with huge buckets when the team relied on him, knocking down a fast break three to retake the lead, conducted by McLaurin.

• I. Thomas continued to dazzle offensively, knocking down a tough fadeaway jumper to keep the Hawks in front as time began to wind down.

• The teams would trade the lead back and forth in the final four minutes as momentum could swing in anyone's favor as the game intensified.

• Geneseo stretched their lead to as much as four with two minutes before I.Thomas came through once again for Hartwick with a game tying three with a minute and 23 seconds left.

• It was a rollercoaster of a final minute as both teams missed a go ahead bucket and committed a turnover but Geneseo's proved to be fatal, forcing an errant pass out of bounds with eight seconds left to give the Royal Blue and White a final possession.

• The Hawks would look for none other than Isiah Thomas, who was white hot from the field, Thomas worked his way into the paint and earned a foul with 1.2 seconds remaining.

• Thomas knocked down both free throws for a game high 23 points to give the Hawks a hard-fought comeback victory.

UP NEXT FOR THE HAWKS

The Hawks will return to Lambros Arena on Tuesday, January 14 to face off against Keuka College. 
 

COMMENTS FROM HEAD COACH BRAD COOPER

"Resiliency is the word that keeps coming to me because Coach Benson and I feel it best describes our group. After starting 0-9, we have guys who haven't won a conference game for a year, guys who live in LA and are dealing with the fire crisis, guys who are in the northeast for the first time, and guys who are new to the college basketball grind. We are excited for another opportunity to compete Tuesday."
 

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.