MIAMI, FL, NY – Hartwick men's basketball (4-4) dropped the first of its two games at this weekend's Hoop Miami D3 Holiday Shootout in Miami, FL on Friday night. The Hawks dropped the decision to North Central (IL) by a final score of 84-67.
Matt Wilson (Shelton, CT/Franklin & Marshall College) led all Hawks with 22 points on 62% (8-for-13) shooting. Justin Pratt (North Kingstown, RI/North Kingstown) added 14 points and a team-high four three-pointers. Trevor Norton (Mullica Hill, NJ/Ursinus College) was also in double figures with 10 points.
The Hawks trailed by an 18-16 score with less than 10 minutes to play in the first half, but a huge 13-0 Cardinals run put North Central in front 31-16 just four minutes later. The Cardinal advantage would swell to as many as 18 points, 42-24, later in the half on a Jayme Moten trey with 1:45 left. A three from Glenn Gavan (Newton, NJ/Pope John XXIII) cut it to 15 before the Hawks entered halftime down 46-29.
The Cardinal lead would grow to as many as 23 points on three occasions in a three-minute span of the second half. The final time, on a Connor Raridan jumper, made the score 75-52 with 5:24 remaining in the game.
Nine straight Hartwick points, including back-to-back three-pointers from Pratt, trimmed the gap to 14 points, 75-61, with 3:16 left on the clock. The deficit fell to 13 a minute and a half later but the Cardinals netted the next six to close the door on a Hawk comeback.
The Hawks made 42.4% (25-for-59) of their shots as a group. North Central would make 50.8% (31-for-61), including 60% (12-for-20) from three. The Cardinals also out-rebounded the Hawks 37-31.
Wilson added a team-high eight rebounds to his 22-point effort. Norton contributed six rebounds. Brandon LaForest (Cohoes, NY/Cohoes) dished out five assists for the Hawks.
Moten finished with a game-high 25 points and six three-pointers for North Central. Kevin Honn added 24 points and a game-high 14 boards.
Hartwick plays Gwynedd-Mercy tomorrow evening at 6 p.m. to wrap up its South Beach trip.