ROCHESTER, NY – After the Hartwick women's basketball team suffered its largest deficit at the end of the third quarter, Emily Stone (Granby, CT/Granby) connected from distance commencing what would result in a 12-point swing plateauing the score 2:57 into the fourth. The Hawks continued to outscore the host Nazareth to capture the 65-55 victory at Kidera Gymnasium Saturday afternoon.
 
The win splits the Hawks' league appearances this week moving the team to 11-6 overall and 7-1 in Empire 8 action. The Golden Flyers drop to 6-9 on the year and 2-4 around the league.
 
In the final quarter, a cold-stretch impeded Nazareth as the home team shot an underwhelming 1-of-14 from the field for a mere 7.14 percent.
 
With 7:03 remaining, Carly Johnson (Greenville, NY/Greenville Central) drained her second shot from distance in less than a minute, her sixth on the afternoon, erasing what stood of her team's deficit, 53-all. Johnson would finish with 11 points, two steals, three rebounds while shooting 50 percent from deep.
 
Hartwick continued to prey on their opponent's offensive blunder as a quartet of Hawks including Jacqui Foreman (Tolland, CT/Tolland), Courtney Cirillo (Johnstown, NY/Johnstown), Stone and Caitlyn Corbett (Altamont, NY/Guilderland) contributed to a 12-2 surge to round out play at Kidera settling the 65-55 final.
 
The first 20 minutes of the contest presented a balanced attack with the Hawks guided by Corbett's 12 first half points and for the foe, Samantha Peebles' 10. The beginning quarters saw 10 lead changes covering four ties in the first and two in the second before Nazareth settled for a one-point advantage heading for the locker-room, 34-33.
 
In danger of falling behind double-digits late in the third, a Johnson scoop to the basket diffused the Nazareth lead to seven, 46-39 after being outscored 12-6 with just under two minutes remaining.
 
That double-figure advantage eventually came to fruition for the Golden Eagles three possessions later on the find from Rose Pedretti who allowed the three-ball opportunity for Sam Sorge in which she connected for the 10-point lead. 
 
An empty ensuing possession for the Hawks saw Rose Pedretti on the runout sinking a layup with the time expiring for Nazareth's largest lead of the day, 53-41, to conclude the third.
 
Hartwick finished the day shooting 45.3 percent (24-of-53), 40 percent from beyond the arc (8-of-20) while Nazareth went 34.4 percent and 29.6 percent in those respective categories.
 
Stone finished the high-scorer of the day with 18 points, half of which came from 3-of-5 of her looks from downtown accompanied by a season-best eight dimes. Corbett finished the high rebounder for the Hawks with seven boards and 15 points while Foreman did a bit of everything adding 14 points, four boards, three assists and three steals. Cirillo's three points and Sarah Shaw's (Franklin, MA/Franklin) four rounded out the Hawks' scoring.
 
Peebles logged a double-double made up of 15 points and 10 boards while also dishing six helpers. Rachel Benedict supplied eight points and 11 rebounds while Pedretti recorded 10 points in 23 minutes off the bench.
 
Hartwick begins its second go-round in conference next Saturday when Elmira visits Lambros Arena, January 28 in time for a 2 p.m. tipoff.