TROY, N.Y. - The Hartwick Men's Basketball team got back on the road, matching up with the Gators, coming away with an important triumph over Russell Sage in a thriller.

THE BASICS

• Final Score: Hartwick 72 Russell Sage 70

• Location: Troy, N.Y.

• Records: Hartwick (3-15, 3-6 Empire 8) Russell Sage (12-6, 5-4 Empire 8)

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

• Hartwick prepared for tip-off against the surging Russell Sage Gators, looking to get back on track after two tight contests this past weekend.

• The hometown hero Henry Perkins (Albany, N.Y.) got to work as soon as the starting whistle blew, scoring a driving layup off the feed from Xymier Thomas (Binghamton, N.Y.).

• Isaiah Thomas (Manitou Springs, CO) drained the answer back three to knot the game at six in the early goings.

• I. Thomas picked a Gator's pocket and pushed the ball up the floor to X.Thomas, who was able to finish through contact on the driving layup, earning a three point play opportunity. Thomas sank the free throw to put the Royal Blue & White back in front.

• Xymier continued to break down the Gator's interior defense, slicing his way through the heart of the Sage defense for back to back buckets.

• The Gators were able to create a run for themselves but it would be quickly halted with a booming three pointer from Isaiah Thomas to cut the deficit to three.

• Brian Bonin (Cicero, N.Y.) picked up his first bucket of the night, connecting on the contested fastbreak floater to pull the Hawks back in front.

• With the lead constantly being traded back, Bonin connected on a tough layup plus the foul to inject his Hawk teammates with newfound energy.

• After Bonin connected on the three point play, Joey McLaurin (Mastic Beach,N.Y.) drained the go-ahead three pointer to put the Hawks up one. The Hawks banded together for a defensive stop and Mike Gitz (Commack, N.Y.) connected on a deep three pointer of his own.

• The Hawks were able to extend their lead to as much as six, with Perkins knocking down the final bucket for the Hawks in the half. Russell Sage connected on their final bucket in under a minute as Hartwick looked to protect their four point lead in the second half.

• The second half opened up in similar fashion as the first half, Xymier Thomas and Henry Perkins continued to make their presence felt down low.

• Hartwick began to stretch the Gator defense after beating them down low, Isaiah Thomas and Mike Gitz drained three pointers to keep the Hawks in front.

• The three ball continued to fall for Coach Cooper's squad as Gitz drained the fast break three to put the squad up eight.

• Perkins knocked down timely buckets in the final ten minutes of the contest, as well as executing from the charity stripe, going 8-12.

• A timely Gator run would knot the game up at 62 as the Hawks looked to lock in and execute their gameplan in the final five minutes.

• The Gators kept up their momentum, picking up the first three points but the lights never shine too bright for Isaiah Thomas, draining the tying three off the feed from McLaurin.

• McLaurin came up big for the Hawks as well, draining a tough floater through contact, sinking his free throw to put the Hawks in front by three with under four minutes left.

• The first year McLaurin continued to operate like a four year player on the court in crunch time, knocking down the pull up baseline jumper with just three minutes remaining.

• Perkins displayed his athleticism at a perfect time after turning the ball over, chasing down the Russell Sage guard who seemed bound to sink the fast break layup but Henry was able to elevate and send the layup attempt to the stands, keeping the Hawks up three.

• Sage was able to knock down the game tying three to make the action-packed affair even more intense with two minutes remaining.

• Offense was hard to come by in the final two minutes as neither team was able to connect from the field, after snagging the defensive board, Perkins was sent to the free throw line with 34 seconds remaining.

• Henry Perkins was able to sink the two free throws for the possible dagger, but the Hawks still had to defend for 34 seconds.

• The Hawks flocked together, playing great team defense turning the Gators away twice before the final buzzer rang.

• Russell Sage had a chance to steal the victory from Hartwick, generating a good look at a three pointer in the final seconds but clanked the final attempt as the Hawks earned a well-deserved conference victory.

COMMENTS FROM HEAD COACH BRAD COOPER

"We lost six really tight games this year by a possession or two, including the OT classic at Utica against the defending champs. Those setbacks allowed us to grow, especially being so young. We're learning how to be present in the moment for 40 minutes, that's easier said than done. We've been watering the roots all year, I'm happy our guys are starting to see some growth."

UP NEXT FOR THE HAWKS

The Hawks will head back on the road for an Empire 8 tip-off against the Houghton Highlanders, set for Friday, January 31st at 7:30 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.