ONEONTA, NY – Hartwick simply refused to lose on Friday night in the Hawks' NCAA Tournament First Round game against Baruch College. The Hawks trailed by as many as 11 points and were behind by five with under a minute left but rallied with baskets on each of their final three possessions of regulation to tie the score at 66-66.
            In overtime, Hartwick took the lead on a Maria Foglia (Rensselaer, NY/Catholic Central HS) free throw with 3:48 left and never trailed again in an epic 80-77 victory over the Bearcats. The victory is the program's first in the NCAA Tournament in 23 years.
            Sophomore forward Brittney Dumas (Easton, CT/Joel Barlow HS) was brilliant with a career-high 34 points and 15 rebounds to pave the way to the Hawks' victory. Foglia would finish with 23 points as the duo combined for 57 points on the night.
            "Our players were just determined to win and not ready to go out," said the victorious Hartwick head coach Missy West following the win. "This team has worked so hard this year and we deserve to be right where we are."
            The Hawks advance to tomorrow's NCAA Second Round against #11 Amherst College, a 63-49 victor over Springfield College. The Hawks and Lord Jeffs tip-off at 6 p.m. at Lambros Arena.
            West praised her two top scorers for their efforts on the night. "Down the stretch, over the last 11 minutes or so, we executed very well. When Maria needed to take over, she took over," said West. "When we needed a big bucket out of Brit, she gave it to us."
            Hartwick trailed by a 50-39 margin with nine and a half minutes remaining and it appeared perhaps this would not be its day. But the resilient Hawks never doubted themselves and began slowly chipping at the deficit. They trimmed it all the way down to two, 52-50, with 6:20 left but a Baruch layup and a three-pointer over the next minute quickly built the lead back up to seven.
            The lead would grow to eight, 61-53, with under four minutes to go, but again the Hawks refused to relent as they continued to climb back. A Taylor Vonasek (Willington, CT/E.O. Smith) layup and then a free throw shortly thereafter made the Baruch lead five. After a Bearcat free throw, a Dumas driving layup trimmed it four with 1:07 to play.
            The Hawks sent Francess Henry to the line and she sank 1-of-2 before Dumas again came through with a driving bucket to make it 64-61 with 59 ticks left in regulation. Henry knocked down a pair following another 'Wick foul to make the lead five but it was Dumas to the rescue once again with a huge and-one to make it a two-point game, 66-64, with 50 ticks showing on the clock.
            The Hartwick defense came up with a turnover on Baruch's next possession, forcing the Cats into a backcourt violation and the Hawks had the ball back with a chance to tie with 36 seconds left.
            This time, it was Foglia who came through as she drove to the hoop and converted a tough layup in the paint to even the game. Hartwick forced another turnover on the defensive end but without any timeouts it was forced to go the length of the floor and wasn't able to get off a chance at the game-winner.
            In overtime, the Hawks seized control early as Foglia scored four straight points for the Hawks and they led for good with under four left. The Bearcats would close the gap to one three times but the Hawks kept their composure and had an answer each time.
            An old fashioned three-point play from Dumas increased the margin to four for the Hawks with 2:23 left in the extra frame but this time it was the Bearcats who clawed their way back. An Iyana Abrams basket made it a one-point game, 78-77, with 20 seconds left and the visitors put Foglia on the line for two of the biggest free throws of her career with 12 seconds to go. The senior calmly drained the pair and the Hawks kept the Bearcats from getting a good look at a game-tying three. They settled for a late heave from distance but it missed the rim as time expired giving the Hawks' the epic win.
            West had applauded the play of several Hawks, especially Dumas and freshman guard Emily Stone (Granby, CT/Granby).  
            "When Brittney wants to play basketball, she can play basketball," said West. "She can be one of the best players in the country. She just has to decide that's what she wants to be every day. "
            "Emily came in not playing a ton of minutes but did all the little things well," said West. "It takes guts for a freshman to come in and play like that with everything on the line. She kept her poise and executed."
            The game was a battle from start to finish, featuring 10 lead changes and 10 tie scores. The Hawks ended the game shooting 45.6% (26-of-57) as a group, which included a 66.7% (4-for-6) showing in the overtime. They were also 6-of-7 in the extra period from the line.
            Dumas closed the game making 13-of-24 (54%) shots from the floor. Foglia was 7-of-15. The duo also combined for a 16-of-20 (80%) showing from the foul line. Vonasek would chip in eight points and eight boards. Kate Purcell (Buffalo, NY/Mt. Mercy Academy) added six points and Stone had five points in a career-most 20 minutes of action.
            The Bearcats had three players in double figures, led by Abrams' 22 points on 8-of-14 shooting. Sheridan Taylor notched 17 points and a team-high nine rebounds and Henry also finished with 17 points.
            Baruch would make 42.2% (27-for-64) from the floor as a team. The Cats were just 4-of-10 in overtime and 3-of-6 from the free-throw line.
            The Hawks, who match their win total from the last two seasons with 22, now play 2011 national champion Amherst in tomorrow's second round matchup. West looks forward to the opportunity.
            "This is what March Madness is about," stated West. "This is the game that we've wanted. To be at our home court playing against one of the top teams in the tournament."