ONEONTA, NY – Sophomore guard Kate Purcell (Buffalo, NY/Mount Mercy Academy) poured in a career-high 29 points to lead Hartwick to its sixth straight victory on Friday night, 71-59, over Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts at Lambros Arena. The Hawks close out the fall with a 7-2 overall mark. Their six consecutive wins is the most for the program since the 1999-2000 season.
            Purcell hit 9-of-15 from the floor, which included a 4-of-5 showing from three-point range. She added six rebounds, made 7-of-8 free throws, and equaled a career-high with five steals.
            Maria Foglia (Rensselaer, NY/Catholic Central HS) and Carlee Hirt (Beacon, NY/John Jay-E. Fishkill) contributed 12 points apiece for Hartwick. Hirt and Lee Arduini (Albany, NY/Acad. of the Holy Names) tied for a team-high with seven rebounds.
            Jen Wehner (Cooperstown, NY/Cooperstown HS) netted a team-high 19 points for MCLA. She also pulled down a game-high 13 rebounds and blocked five shots. Alie Dobrovolc (Little Falls, NY/Little Falls HS) netted 18 points for the Trailblazers.
            The Hawks bolted out to a 20-point lead with just over eight minutes played in the game and never looked back. Purcell, who finished the half with 20 points, scored 13 in the run to give the Hawks a 24-4 lead with over 11 minutes still left on the first-half clock.
            Hartwick's lead swelled to as many as 21 later in the half before the Trailblazers cut it to 17 points, 41-24, at the break. In the opening stanza, the Hawks turned 13 MCLA turnovers into 26 points and shot 50% (15-for-30) from the floor as a team.
            The Hawks led by 13 points or more until the game's final minute. 'Wick was up by its biggest margin of the night, 70-47, with 3:38 left and the team held a 71-51 edge with two minutes to play. The Trailblazers scored the final eight points for the final 12-point margin.
            As a group, Hartwick made 24-of-57 shots (42.1%). MCLA hit just 33% (21-of-63). It marks the sixth straight time the Hawks have held their opponents to less than 35% shooting.
            Hartwick now takes its 7-2 record into January with the start of the Empire 8 Conference season. The Hawks will play at Elmira College on January 6 at 6 p.m. and at Alfred University on January 7 at 2 p.m.