ONEONTA, NY – Freshman guard Kevin Townes (Lagrangeville, NY/Our Lady of Lourdes) scored a game-high 25 points to pace Hartwick's men's basketball team to a four-point, 70-66 victory over visiting St. John Fisher Friday night at Lambros Arena.

            The Hawks improve to 5-9 overall and 2-3 in league play. The Cardinals fall to 8-7 and 3-3 in the Empire 8.

            Townes would connect on a career-high six three-pointers on the night. He also contributed six rebounds. Brandon LaForest (Cohoes, NY/Cohoes) was the only other Hawk in double figures with 11 points. He also had a game-high seven assists. Tommy Kelly (Niskayuna, NY/Niskayuna) scored seven points and Marc du Moulin (Altamont, NY/Guilderland) and Patrick Garey (Johnson City, NY/Johnson City) each added six points.

            Jake Haight recorded a double-double of 17 points and a game-high 16 rebounds for Fisher. Sammy Robinson netted 10.

            Haight would nearly register a first-half double-double as he scored 14 points with nine rebounds in the opening half for the Cardinals. Townes scored nine in the opening 20 minutes to lead the Hawks. Both teams would end the first half deadlocked at 32-32.

            Townes' third three-pointer of the night 42 seconds into the second half would put Hartwick in front for the next 14 minutes. Townes' next trey would hand the Hawks their biggest lead, 46-36, with 16:14 left to play.

            A 9-0 Fisher run would put the Cardinals in front with 5:43 to go, 56-55. A pair of Corey Baker (Granby, MA/Granby) free throws with five minutes on the clock put Hartwick ahead for good. It would be the first two points in a 9-2 'Wick run which saw the Hawks jump ahead 65-58. The lead grew to nine with 30 seconds left before Fisher trimmed the lead to three, 69-66, with 10 ticks remaining. Townes closed it out with a free throw to make it a two-possession game and the Hawks closed out the victory.

            The Hawks would shoot 51% from the floor in the game while holding Fisher to 39% shooting. The Cardinals out-rebounded the Hawks 37-34.

            Hartwick takes on Nazareth at home tomorrow beginning at 3 p.m.