ONEONTA, NY- The Hartwick men's basketball team trailed by 14 points early in the first half but rallied to tie the game and eventually hung on for a 78-72 win over Stevens in a key Empire 8 contest on Tuesday night at Lambros Arena. Five Hawks scored in double figures on the evening.
Hartwick improves its record to 14-9 overall and 9-4 in the Empire 8. In the process, the Hawks also clinched a berth in the Empire 8 Tournament. Stevens falls to 16-8 overall and 9-4 in the E8.
The Hawks were led by Jared Suderley's (Newport, NY/West Canada Valley) 19 points. He also had eight rebounds. Joey Lufkin (Argyle, NY/Argyle) scored 15 points. Kyle Bradley (Cornwall, NY/Mansfield University) chipped in 11 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and two steals.
Off the bench, Christian Laputka (Freeland, PA/Hazleton Area) had a season-high 13 points and five rebounds while dishing out three assists and coming up with two steals. Glenn Gavan (Newton, NJ/Pope John XXIII) contributed 10 points and five rebounds.
"Christian played unbelievable and Joey made two huge free throws," said head coach Todd McGuinness. "Our seniors really seized the moment and made huge plays tonight."
The Ducks were led by Matt Skrelja's 18 points. He also had six assists and five rebounds. Patrick Sabantino tallied 12 points and nine rebounds. Phillip DeSeignora also had 12 points.
The Hawks found themselves in an early hole as Stevens had a 14-1 lead at 14:34. Hartwick missed its first six shots until Suderley converted a layup at 14:24 for the team's first field goal.
The Ducks' lead increased to 18-4 at 12:51 after a layup from Skrelja. A 10-3 'Wick run knocked the lead to seven, 21-14, at 10:50. Stevens restored its advantage back up to 14 points, 28-14, at 8:54. A 11-0 Hartwick run, keyed by three-pointers from Lufkin and Gavan, got the Hawks to within three points of tying the game, 28-25, at 7:05.
Hartwick trailed 36-34 at the 1:33 mark following a trey from Laputka. The Hawks were still behind by two points, 39-37, with 33 seconds to play in the half after Lufkin nailed a three-point shot. DeSeignora tried to answer with a three of his own but was off the mark and Laputka brought down the rebound and raced down the court to score the tying basket with just one second left to make the score 39-all at halftime.
Despite its hot shooting early on, the Ducks cooled down the stretch in the first half. Stevens ended the first period shooting 15-of-32 (46.9%) and despite their early struggles, the Hawks ended the frame hitting 14-of-32 (43.8%) of their shots. Hartwick was good on 8-of-12 (66.7%) from beyond the three-point line to fuel the comeback.
Suderley's layup 11 seconds into the second half gave 'Wick its first lead of the game, 41-39. The score changed hands three times and was tied twice in the first six minutes of the half. Three-pointers from Anthony Keane (Staten Island, NY/Monsignor Farrell) and Justin Pratt (North Kingstown, RI/North Kingstown) gave the Hawks their biggest lead of the night, 53-49, at 12:35.
The game stayed tight throughout the rest of the half as neither team could pull away from the other. The Ducks went ahead 69-64 with five minutes showing on the game clock. An 8-1 Hartwick run gave the home team a two-point lead, 72-70, with 2:09 left to play.
A Skrelja layup at 1:20 tied the contest at 72-72. With 56 seconds remaining, Bradley hit the first of two foul shots to give the Hawks a 73-72 lead. Two free throws from Lufkin with 20 seconds left put 'Wick up 75-72. The Ducks inbounded the ball but Keane came up with a big steal and scored on a layup with 12 seconds on the clock to put the Hawks ahead 77-72 and essentially ice the game. Gavan converted the second of two free throws to complete the scoring as the Hawks celebrated the victory.
"It was a great win after a bad start," said McGuinness. "We were able to make a few big plays down the stretch to seal the win."
Hartwick shot 27-of-56 (48.2%) on the night compared to Stevens' 29-of-63 (46%). Hartwick finished 12-of-23 (52.2%) from behind the three-point arc as the Ducks ended up 8-of-22 (36.4%).
The Ducks led in rebounds, 38-35, and in points in the paint, 34-26. Led by a combined 23 points from Laputka and Gavan, the Hawk bench outscored the Duck bench, 33-29.
Hartwick will head on the road Friday night to face Houghton. Game time will be at 6 p.m.