ONEONTA, N.Y. –The Hartwick Women's Basketball team battled wire-to-wire with Keuka on Friday afternoon at Lambros Arena, but a late free throw proved to be the difference as the Hawks fell, 53–51.
THE BASICS
Final Score: Keuka 53 Hartwick 51
Location: Oneonta, N.Y. | Lambros Arena
Records: Keuka (9-11, 4-8 Empire 8) • Hartwick (4-17, 1-11 Empire 8)
HOW IT HAPPENED
Returning home after a challenging road trip against two of the Empire 8's top three teams in SUNY Geneseo and SUNY Brockport, the Hawks looked to avenge an earlier loss to the Wolves and wasted no time setting the tone.
Emma Cohen orchestrated the opening possession, finding Trinity Thornton (Sherburne, N.Y.) for the first bucket of the afternoon. Cohen continued to pace the offense, feeding Yadi Smith (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) in the paint before slicing through the defense for her own score. Keuka stayed within striking distance throughout the opening frame before closing the quarter on a seven-point swing to take the early advantage.
The Wolves opened the second with an and-one, but Cohen answered with her first triple of the contest. Keuka leaned heavily on its interior presence, building its lead before Meghan Paul (Waterford, N.Y.) halted the run with a driving finish. Interior buckets from Smith and Jessica Bowens (Malta, N.Y.) trimmed the deficit, sending Hartwick into the break trailing by nine.
Keuka pushed its lead to double digits early in the third, but Hartwick responded with a surge sparked by Cohen's playmaking. Smith knocked down a three before attacking the rim for another finish, then forced a steal and dished ahead to Bowens for a fastbreak bucket plus the foul, completing the three-point play and forcing a Keuka timeout with the Hawks within one. Macy Durkin (Syracuse, N.Y.) added a steal and score to tie the game at 32, and after several lead changes, Bowens split a pair of free throws to give Hartwick a slim one-point edge heading into the final quarter.
The fourth quarter mirrored the back-and-forth nature of the contest. Bowens came up with another steal that led to points for Cohen, while Smith and Bowens continued to connect for timely scores down the stretch. Back-to-back Keuka three-pointers briefly swung momentum before Leah Schoonover (Fredericksburg, Va.) answered with a triple of her own to tie the game at 46.
With possessions at a premium in the final minutes, Durkin converted a second-chance bucket and first-year Meghan Paul delivered a clutch corner three to knot the contest for the 11th time with 1:04 remaining. A late foul sent Keuka to the line, where the Wolves edged ahead by one. Hartwick had a chance to retake the lead, but the shot fell short, and Keuka sealed the game at the stripe, handing the Hawks a tough one-possession loss at home.
UP NEXT FOR THE HAWKS
The Hawks will head back to Lambros Arena for their final regular season home contest, taking on the Elmira Soaring Eagles at 2PM on Saturday, February 7th for Senior Day.
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.
