ALFRED, NY – In an up and down game featuring seven ties and 11 lead changes, the Hartwick men's basketball team used a 14-9 run with just over five minutes to play for an 80-73 road victory over Alfred on Saturday evening at Terry S. Galanis Family Arena.
Paced by a double-double by Jake Sinicki (Endicott, NY/Maine-Endwell HS), the Hawks complete the season sweep of the Saxons to up their season record to 14-7. Their 7-5 Empire 8 clip is good for fourth in the conference. The home team is now 8-12 on the year and 5-6 in league action.
Sinicki's double-double comprised of 12 boards, which tied a season-high. He added 22 points, three assists and three rejections. The junior shot 53.6 percent on the evening (7-of-13) and saw two of his rebounds come on the offensive glass.
Three other Hawks recorded double-digits in the win as Brandon LaForest (Cohoes, NY/Cohoes HS) registered 20 points, Joey Lufkin (Argyle, NY/Argyle Central) supplied 15 and Marc du Moulin (Altamont, NY/Guilderland) contributed 12 in just 16 minutes off the bench. Lufkin and LaForest's point totals also came with the support of five assists and two steals, respectively.
Tyler Seelman put up 15 points on 60 percent shooting supported by 10-point productions from Sage Brown and Nick Schmidt. Sam Dagon put up 12 points.
The first 20 minutes on Alfred's hardwood ended in a draw between both teams at 39-up. Sinicki erupted for 18 first half points to lead all at the break.
Dagon rolled out the scoring at Galanis as both teams remained in striking distance of one another. The seemingly balanced scoring attack just favored the Saxons who notched their largest advantage of the first up six, 10-4, 4:02 into the game.
Fast-forward to 3:54 behind the intermission and the Hawks built an eight-point advantage, 36-28, on the backend of an old-fashioned three-point play for Sinicki.
From that point, Alfred chiseled out an 11-3 run to level the playing field for the second stanza.
LaForest got nifty in the paint handing Hartwick the quick lead 16 ticks into the final half of action. However, the playing field would be evened again nearly four minutes later.
The second half witnessed four ties and nine lead changes and at 8:18 the score was deadlocked for the final time, 61-61.
This time, Alfred was first to break the tie as a Hawks' turnover saw Schmidt finish in the open court for the easy two, 63-61.
Almost three minutes later, Justin Pratt (North Kingstown, RI/North Kingstown HS) connected from distance to ultimately put the score back in Hartwick's favor and there it would stay for the final 5:08 of play.
Hartwick went 27-for-54 from the floor (50 percent) while netting five of its 15 looks from behind the arc (33 percent). Alfred shot 48.2 percent from the field (27-of-56) and 40 percent from deep (8-of-20).
With just four games remaining on its schedule, the Hawks return to Lambros Arena and host Utica, February 7, for a CODE BLUE event. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m.