WILLIMANTIC, CT – Hartwick led by as many as 20 points in another solid performance as the Hawks won the 34^th Annual Eastern Connecticut State University Tip-Off Tournament with an impressive 65-46 victory over the host Warriors Sunday at Geissler Gym in Willimantic, CT. The Hawks begin the season 2-0 for the first time since the 2001-2002 season.
            Tournament Most Valuable Player Taylor Vonasek (Willington, CT/E.O. Smith) led four Hartwick players in double figures with 16 points on 7-of-12 shooting. Seniors Maria Foglia (Rensselaer, NY/Catholic Central) and Kait Veit (Easthampton, MA/Holyoke Catholic HS) scored 13 points apiece and sophomore forward Brittney Dumas (Easton, CT/Joel Barlow) chipped in with 10. Foglia and Dumas were named to the All-Tournament Team.
            "We played with great poise and confidence today," said victorious head coach Missy West following the game. "We're happy to win the tournament."
            The game started as a defensive battle as both teams combined for just 18 points through the opening 10 minutes and neither led by more than four. The Hawks began to gain the upper hand later in the half as they earned a seven-point lead on an Emily Stone (Granby, CT/Granby HS) bucket with 6:16 to play.
            The Warriors cut the deficit to three but another seven-point swing for 'Wick put it up by 10 points, 27-17. Veit would net five points in the run, which included her sixth three-point basket of the tournament. Eastern would trim the margin to 29-21 at the break.
            The Hawks maintained at least an eight-point edge through the first six and a half minutes of the second half but back-to-back triples from Foglia and Kate Purcell (Buffalo, NY/Mount Mercy Academy) made the margin 15 points, 48-33, with 12 minutes remaining.
            A Foglia layup made the score 50-36 with 11:22 left but neither team managed a point for nearly the next three minutes of the contest. Veit would snap the scoreless streak with another shot from beyond the three-point arc and baskets from Christina Graziadei (Oriskany, NY/Oriskany Central HS) and Dumas made it a 20-point advantage, 57-37, with 6:33 showing on the clock.
            Eastern only managed to trim the Hawks' lead to 15 points, 61-46, with 2:10 remaining. Foglia added a free throw and Veit knocked down her eighth three of the tournament in the waning seconds to close out the victory.
            "Kait had a great tournament," proclaimed West. "She hit key shots for us both days. Taylor played the best I've seen yet. She played great on the low block. She's just started to tap into what she can do for us and when she makes the decision to play, she can play."
            Foglia would add a game-high eight rebounds for Hartwick to go along with her 13 points. Dumas contributed seven rebounds and Purcell accumulated five boards, and game-highs of five assists and three steals.
            Both teams finished even on the glass with 38 rebounds apiece. The Hawks shot just under 40% from the floor (25-for-63 – 39.7%) and hit 9-of-10 from the free-throw line.
            The Warriors, who shot 34.6% from the field and just 1-of-14 from deep, were led by Shannon McCourt's 16 points. She was the lone player in double figures.
            The Hawks next compete at the Peace University Jackie Ammons Memorial Tournament in Raleigh, NC next weekend. The Hawks open the tournament with Salem College (NC) on Friday, November 22 at 6 p.m.
            "The key for us is to stay hungry every game," West stated. "We're happy, but it's time to move on to the next one."