ONEONTA, NY – Hartwick fell from the unbeaten ranks in Empire 8 play with an 82-73 loss at Nazareth College's Kidera Gymnasium Tuesday night. The Hawks would shoot 52% as a team for the game, but they committed 18 turnovers, which the Golden Flyers turned into 27 points.
            The loss snaps a six-game win streak for 'Wick. The Hawks are now 10-5 overall and 5-1 in the league. The Flyers improve to 9-6 and pull into a second-place tie with the Hawks at 5-1.
            In the opening half, consecutive baskets from Jake Sinicki (Endicott, NY/Maine Endwell) and Matt Wilson (Shelton, CT/Franklin & Marshall College) gave the Hawks a 17-16 advantage with 7:35 left. It would mark the Hawks' last lead of the evening as Mitch Ford, who led all scorers with 28 points, put Naz in front for good at the 6:53 mark.
            The Golden Flyers would lead by as many as eight in the half before Hartwick closed the gap to one twice in the final two minutes. A 7-2 run to end the period and the hosts led 36-30 at the break.
            Naz would gain an advantage of eight points four times in the first 13 minutes of the second half. The Hawks trimmed it to two, 56-54, on a Brandon LaForest (Cohoes, NY/Cohoes) basket with under 10 minutes left but couldn't get any closer.
            A Ford layup with 2:53 remaining made the score 72-61. A pair of Ford free throws increased the margin to 16 points, 77-61, just 42 seconds later. A 12-5 Hartwick run to end the game made it closer but it was too little too late for the Hawks.
            Sinicki led 'Wick with 16 points. He also had six rebounds. Trevor Norton (Mullica Hill, NJ/Ursinus College) added 15 points, five rebounds, and four assists.

            Justin Pratt (North Kingstown, RI/North Kingstown) and LaForest each had 10 points. Pratt tied for a game-high with seven boards. Wilson had eight points and five rebounds.
            Ford went 10-of-20 from the field and 7-for-7 from the free-throw line to pace the Flyers. Tyler Stenglein scored 16 points and dished out six assists. Brendan Wind contributed 12 points.
            Hartwick is back home this weekend for a pair of Empire 8 games. The Hawks host league leader St. John Fisher Friday night and Ithaca College on Saturday.