SCHENECTADY, NY – Hartwick had four players in double figures but it wasn't enough as the Hawks dropped their season opener at Union College, 97-81 on Wednesday night at Viniar Athletic Center in Schenectady.
Senior guard Corey Baker (Granby, MA / Granby) dropped in a game- and career-high 20 points for the Hawks. He also would grab seven rebounds. Freshman guard Tommy Kelly (Niskayuna, NY / Niskayuna) contributed 18 points in his first collegiate game. Junior Brandon LaForest (Cohoes, NY / Cohoes) netted 15 points and freshman Austin Haskell (Kirkwood, NY / Susquehanna Valley) added 13 points.
The Dutchmen would jump out to a 10-2 advantage in the early stages of the game before the Hawks settled in. 'Wick trailed by a five-point margin, 18-13, with 10:32 left in the first half, but a 9-0 Union run made the score 27-13 just over a minute and a half later.
Hartwick trimmed the gap to six on three more occasions before the Dutchmen got the final four points of the half to take a 42-32 lead into halftime.
A three-point play from Kelly with 13:13 left in the second half made it a seven-point game, 58-51. After Union connected on a three-pointer, LaForest answered with a Hartwick trey just a few seconds later. A 15-3 run over the next four minutes, however, would up the Union advantage to 19 points. Fourteen points was the closest the Hawks would get the rest of the way.
Union would shoot 51% (36-for-71) from the field in the contest. The Hawks would make 35% (26-for-74) as a group. The Dutchmen won the battle on the glass, 53-40.
Union was led by Kevin Weckworth's 22 points. Greg King scored 18 and Matt Liquori added a double-double of 16 points and a game-high 12 rebounds.
Haskell would miss a double-double by just one rebound with nine. Kevin Townes (Lagrangeville, NY / Our Lady of Lourdes) added six boards and LaForest accumulated four rebounds, a team-high four assists, and two steals.
Hartwick hosts Skidmore in its home opener on Saturday, November 18 at 1 p.m.