HOUGHTON, N.Y. - The Hartwick Women's Basketball team continued their Empire 8 conference road slate, taking down the Highlanders with a complete team performance, executing on both ends .

THE BASICS

• Final Score: Hartwick 56 Houghton 42

• Location: Houghton, N.Y.

• Records: Hartwick (5-13, 3-7 Empire 8) Houghton (13-6, 4-6 Empire 8) 

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

• The Hawks prepared for tip-off against host Houghton University, coming off a tight Tuesday contest versus Russell Sage.

• Hartwick came out the gates slowly, as the Highlanders opened the first five minutes with a nine point lead.

• Niamh Kelly (Latham, N.Y.) connected on the first field goal for the Hawks with Emma Cohen (Utica, N.Y.) providing the dish for the interior score.

• Seneca Williamson (Hudson Falls, N.Y.) picked up her first steal of the game, leading to a Macy Durkin (Syracuse, N.Y.) bucket on the other end.

• Durkin ended the first quarter with an exclamation point, draining the wing jumper from beyond the arc to pull the Hawks within three and ignite the team's offense.

• Houghton did their best to hold onto their lead but the Hawks continued to claw at the deficit. 

• Field goals from Kelly, Cohen, and Durkin kept the seesaw affair going until Yadi Smith (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) sank her first three pointer of the contest, giving the Royal Blue & White their first lead.

• The Hawks' one point cushion was short lived as the Highlanders found a bucket with under four minutes remaining to pull back ahead by one.

• Down by three entering the third quarter, Coach Lombard's squad was determined to get their lead back as Cohen knocked down her first bucket.

• A Highlander turnover forced by Kelly turned into a Cohen three pointer to tie the contest as Emma Cohen began to catch fire.

• Cohen connected for seven straight points before a Yadi Smith bucket put the Hawks back up top once again at the halfway mark of the third.

• Hartwick played stingy defense in the third, holding the Highlanders to their lowest scoring quarter of the season with eight points.

• Cohen continued to light it up from downtown, draining two three pointers in the final two minutes to close out the third quarter up by eight points.

• Durkin opened up the fourth quarter with a seven point run of her own, capping it off by knocking down another wing three to swell the lead to eleven.

• Emma Cohen knocked down a deep three pointer to deflate the Houghton crowd and shut the door on any comeback attempt, capturing their biggest lead yet of 14 with four minutes left.

• Hartwick's suffocating press defense caused many problems for the Highlanders, as the Hawks were able to lock down the Empire 8's fifth ranked offense to their lowest scoring output of the year, with 42 points.

• Cohen erupted for 21 second half points, leading the contest with a season high 24 points, Durkin posted 19 points to lead the Hawks to victory
  
  UP NEXT FOR THE HAWKS

• The Hawks will head to Alfred University for a 2:00 PM Saturday tip-off against the Saxons on February 1st in Alfred, NY.

  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.