TROY, NY – Sophomores Kate Purcell (Buffalo, NY/Mount Mercy Academy), Maria Foglia (Rensselaer, NY/Catholic Central HS) and senior Samantha Fox (Hartwick, NY/Cooperstown HS) combined for 39 points on Tuesday night as Hartwick beat the Sage Colleges 59-42 at the Neff Center in Troy, NY. Trailing 20-18, the Hawks used a 9-2 run to close the first half and never looked back in the second to earn their second straight win.
Hartwick is now 3-2 on the season. The Gators, who were playing in their home opener, fall to 1-4 with the loss.
Purcell led the Hawks with game-highs of 15 points and 15 rebounds. Purcell's 15 boards was also a career-best. Foglia tallied 14 points and five boards. Fox netted a season-high 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting, while contributing two blocks and a steal, all in the second half of play.
The Hawks, who only shot 18% as a team in the first half and 30% in the game, made up for it from the line and on the glass. The Hawks hit 17-of-22 from the free-throw line and dominated the boards, doubling up the Gators by a 54-27 margin.
"We missed several wide open layups in the first half," said head coach Missy West after the game. "Our players hit shots in the second half when we needed them, though, and we were all over them on the boards."
The score was tied four times and the lead changed hand on eight occasions in a back and forth first half. The Hawks, however, would seize control of the game with nine of the final 11 points in the last 4:40 of the period. Seven of Hartwick's points in the run came from the line. Five players contributed to the spurt, led by Kait Veit's (Easthampton, MA/Holyoke Catholic) three points.
Early in the second half, the Gators trimmed the deficit to three points. A 7-0 Hawk run, however, made it a double-digit advantage and 'Wick never led by less than eight points the rest of the way. Sage made the score 46-38 with under 10 minutes to play in the game only to have the Hawks put it away with an 11-0 run over the next five minutes.
Purcell led 'Wick with seven offensive rebounds in the game. Tracey Koch (Glenmont, NY/Bethlehem Central), who ended the game with 10 boards, grabbed six on the offensive glass.
Sage was led by Kara Hackett's 13 points. Megan Bowman was also in double figures with 11 points.
The victory is Hartwick's 21st straight over Sage dating back to the 1980-81 season. The Hawks are 24-5 all-time over the Gators.
Hartwick is back on the road on Saturday at Morrisville State. The Hawks and Mustangs tip off at 1 p.m.