ONEONTA, NY – In a matchup featuring the Hartwick men's basketball team and the visiting Alfred Saxons, the Hawks benefitted from its backcourt efficiency provided by the two-man tandem of Joey Lufkin (Argyle, NY/Argyle Central) and Brandon LaForest (Cohoes, NY/Cohoes HS) in a 105-92 victory Friday night at Lambros Arena. Such guard play allowed Hartwick to a 3-2 clip inside the Empire 8 supporting a 10-4 overall record. The Saxons drop to 5-10 and 2-3 in league play.

Lufkin showed promise early notching nearly half of his season-high 30 points within the first frame. At the final buzzer, the Argyle, NY product would add eight assists and five boards and finish 9-for-13 shooting (69.2 percent) and 2-of-4 from distance (50 percent).

LaForest did a little bit of everything, supplying a career-high 28 points on 10-of-17 shooting (58.9 percent) while tallying three dimes, two rejections, two boards and tacked on two more steals to his already conference-leading total.

Though giving up a bucket in the opening onset of the game, 'Wick came of the gates as the clear aggressor. The host held custody of the lead for a vast majority of the first half going up by as many as 18 points before settling for a 49-33 line at the break.

In forcing the issue, Hartwick was the recipient of 13 trips to the line converting eight in the first frame, to that of Alfred's underwhelming 2-of-2 from the charity stripe. That early energy by the Hawks also debilitated the Saxons' outside shooting restricting their opponent to just 3-of-12 for a mere 25 percent inside the first 20 minutes.

That also did not shift much in the second half as the Saxons only converted six triples on 14 more opportunities (34.6 percent).

Dalton Cousin would spearhead his team's offense in the first half with 10 points at the intermission and pinned eight more on his team-leading total to end the game going 9-for-11 from the floor (81 percent) while also picking up two rebounds and one steal.

At 10:08, Tristin Hook's tries at the free throw line inhibited the Saxons' double-digit deficit, behind 22-13. However, on two alternating possessions, that would change as the Hawks charged an 11-2 run to the Alfred debt capped by the long-ball from Jake Sinicki (Endicott, NY/Maine-Endwell HS).

Sinicki later concluded action on the hardwood with his third-straight double-double performance made up of 15 points and 11 rebounds.

Alfred did manage to dent the Hawks momentum in the second stanza, able to bring the home team's lead back inside single digits with 10:46 minutes behind the horn.

Tyler Seelman credited an old-fashioned three for the 72-65 score still favoring the Hawks and a Cousin's layup in the open court would see his team only trailing seven. Unfortunately for the road team, Justin Pratt (North Kingstown, RI/North Kingstown HS) sank one of his five triples on the night soon after and the game was never in question again.

Hartwick concludes its home stand when returning to action tomorrow, January 14 to welcome Houghton College for a 5 p.m. tip-off time.