MIAMI, FL, NY – Trailing by a point with 36 seconds to go, Joey Lufkin (Argyle, NY/Argyle Central) nailed a three-pointer at the top of the key to put Hartwick up to stay in a 77-72 triumph over Gwynedd-Mercy University at the HoopMIA D3 Holiday Shootout in Miami, FL Saturday evening. The victory is the Hawks' fifth on the season and it marks head coach Todd McGuinness' 100^th win at the helm.
            The Hawks led by four with 2:08 left, but a five-point Griffins' swing handed them the advantage, 72-71, with 46 ticks to go. Lufkin's three at the other end and three Trevor Norton (Mullica Hill, NJ/Ursinus College) free throws closed out the victory.
            McGuinness is just the third Hartwick head coach to reach 100 victories. In his seventh season with the Hawks, his teams now hold an overall mark of 100-67. He trails only Nick Lambros (353) and Roy Chipman (166) for wins in the program's record books.
            Norton led all scorers with 22 points for the Hawks. He added six rebounds, five threes, five assists, and two steals. Lufkin finished the contest with 15 points. Jake Sinicki (Endicott, NY/Maine Endwell) added 12 points and five boards.
            The game would be closely contested from start to finish with seven lead changes and seven tie scores. Both teams shot similarly with Hartwick making 45% from the floor and Gwynedd-Mercy hitting 42%. The two teams were also even in rebounds 34-34.
            'Wick opened up leads of six points at three different points in the first half. A Norton three made it 19-13 with just over six minutes elapsed. A Justin Pratt (North Kingstown, RI/North Kingstown) trey made it 27-21 with 10:10 left, and a Matt Knezovic (Ballston Lake, NY/Mansfield University) jumper gave the Hawks a 29-23 edge 36 seconds later.
            After Knezovic's basket, GMU used an 11-2 run to gain a 34-31 advantage. Later, a Norton triple put Hartwick back on top with 3:42 left in the half. The Hawks held the advantage until a Griffin basket at the final horn tied the game at 40-40 at halftime.
            A big 12-2 run gave 'Wick its biggest lead, 52-42, three and a half minutes into the second half. Pratt and Sinicki hit threes in the run and Lufkin had the final five points with a trey and three from the free-throw line.
            The lead evaporated quickly, however, with a 15-4 Griffins' run which put them up 57-56. Norton answered at the other end for Hartwick with a three-pointer at 9:53 and the Hawks would lead for the next 9:07 of action.
            Hartwick led by five with just over five minutes remaining in the contest before four straight Griffin points cut it to one. Norton hit a three-pointer for a four-point edge but a Hartwick intentional foul put the Griffins on the line with the ball back. They hit all three free throws and were fouled again 10 seconds later. Two more makes at the line and they had the lead, 72-71, before Lufkin put the Hawks ahead for keeps.
            Pratt would end the game with nine points on a trio of three-point baskets. Matt Wilson (Shelton, CT/Franklin & Marshall College) added eight points and a team-high seven rebounds. Brandon LaForest (Cohoes, NY/Cohoes) had five points and five assists. Marc du Moulin (Altamont, NY/Guilderland) chipped in four points and four boards off the bench.
            Gwynedd-Mercy was led by Arron Goodman's 19 points. Julian Hyden contributed 18 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. Aaron Morgan scored 10.
             Hartwick takes its 5-4 record into 2016 where it will open up Empire 8 Conference play on Tuesday, January 5 at Lambros Arena. The Hawks will entertain Houghton College at 6 p.m.