WILKES-BARRE, PA – Hartwick men's basketball dropped a 68-52 decision to King's College on Saturday in the opening round of the FNCB Bank Monarch Classic at McGrane Gymnasium in Wilkes-Barre, PA. The Hawks, who trailed by as many as 24 points in the second half, managed to cut their deficit to 10 but they could get no closer. 'Wick falls to 4-4 on the season. King's improves to 2-7.
            The Hawks had a tough night shooting the basketball as they made only 33.9% (19-for-56) of their shots from the floor and 30.4% (7-for-23) from three-point range.
            Tommy Kelly (Niskayuna, NY/Niskayuna) led Hartwick with 14 points. He added four rebounds, three assists, and a steal. Bobby Connors (Rockville Centre, NY/Chaminade) made four of his six shots from the floor, including a 3-of-4 showing from deep, to finish with 11 points. He also had three blocked shots. Justin Carruthers (Greenwich, NY/Greenwich) was also in double figures with 10 points.
            The Monarchs got the first bucket of the game 38 seconds into the contest and they would lead for the rest of the night. 'Wick would struggle to fill the cup early as it managed only three points in the opening six and a half minutes. The Hawks trailed by just four, 14-10, following a Kelly jumper before a 9-3 spurt from the hosts handed them a 10-point lead with eight minutes left in the half. Hartwick twice trimmed the gap to five but the Monarchs closed the half on a 7-0 run to enter halftime up 12 points, 32-20.
            In the first five minutes of the second half, King's used a 16-4 run to open up a 48-24 advantage. The Hawks would cut into the lead after a 16-4 surge of their own and they trailed by 12 at the midway point of the half. Back-to-back buckets from Carruthers made it 54-44 with less than nine minutes to play. 'Wick had two chances to make it a single-digit Monarch lead but it couldn't convert. The Hawks would miss their next eight shots from the floor and King's netted 11 of the next 13 points over the next six minutes to pull away.  
            Kyle Bradshaw (Tinton Hills, NY/Brookdale CC) finished the night with eight points. He tied for a team-high with six rebounds and he blocked three shots. Austin Haskell (Kirkwood, NY/Susquehanna Valley) scored five points and he grabbed six boards. Pat Garey (Johnson City, NY/Johnson City) scored four points with five rebounds and a team-best five assists.
            King's received a game-high 16 points from Tyler Millan. He added eight rebounds for the Monarchs, who led the Hawks in the category 46-37. Andrew Hudak and Joe Lonardi each registered double-doubles. Hudak scored 12 points and pulled down 11 rebounds. Lonardi contributed 10 points and a game-high 13 rebounds.
            Hartwick plays tomorrow in the consolation game against the Gwynedd Mercy University Griffins. Tip-off is 1 p.m.
            Make sure to catch the latest news on all your favorite Hartwick Hawks teams by following @HawkTalk on Twitter, @hartwickhawks on Instagram, and by liking 'Hartwick Hawks' on Facebook.