ONEONTA, NY – Jacqui Foreman (Tolland, CT/Tolland) led a trio of Hawks in double figures with a double-double of game-highs of 17 points and 12 rebounds as Hartwick defeated visiting Utica College by a final score of 64-39 on Wednesday night at Lambros Arena. The Hawks' defense held the Pioneers to just 23% shooting and forced 15 turnovers in the contest.
Foreman made 7-of-8 from the floor in the game. Taylor Vonasek (Willington, CT/E.O. Smith) added 16 points, eight boards, three blocks, and two assists. Caitlin Corbett (Altamont, NY/Guilderland) added 11 points and a pair of three-pointers.
With the victory, the Hawks improve to 7-10 overall and get over the .500 mark in the Empire 8 with a mark of 5-4. Utica drops to 6-11 and 1-7.
Vonasek broke a 2-2 tie with 7:32 left in the opening quarter on a layup and the Hawks would keep the advantage for the rest of the night. A three-pointer from Carly Johnson (Greenville, NY/Greenville Central) and a Foreman layup in the final 27 seconds pushed the Hartwick margin to 10 points, 21-11, at the end of the first quarter.
A 7-2 start to the second quarter gave the Hawks' their biggest lead of the opening half with 4:13 left in the second quarter, 28-13. Only six points were scored by both teams the rest of the half as 'Wick led 30-17 at the break.
Hartwick added to its total in the third quarter and following a three-pointer from Emily Stone (Granby, CT/Granby Memorial) the Hawks grabbed a 24-point margin, 44-20, with 4:22 left. An 11-3 Utica spurt to close the period trimmed the Hartwick advantage to 16 points, 47-31, after three quarters.
Seven straight points to start the fourth built the lead back up to 23. The Hawks would hold the Pioneers scoreless over the final 4:21 as they ended the game on a 6-0 run to close out the victory.
Stone finished the night with six points and a game-high seven assists. Johnson and Alicia Razanousky (Stuyvesant, NY/Ichabod Crane) each netted four points and Christina Graziadei (Oriskany, NY/Oriskany) contributed five boards and two blocked shots.
Ashleynne Babb paced Utica with 12 points. Calypso Carty pulled down a team-high eight rebounds.
Hartwick plays on Saturday at Houghton College. Game time is 8 p.m.