CLINTON, NY – A close game throughout turned into a 58-49 win for host Hamilton on Thursday night, as the Continentals made their free throws down the stretch to turn away the Hartwick women's basketball team with a loss. The Hawks are now 4-3 on the year, while Hamilton improves to 3-3.
'Wick bounced out to a 7-2 lead early on, as a Hamilton lay-up to get things started was answered by a Daniella DeBiase (Staten Island, NY/Xaverian) three and a bucket each from Molly Kirby (Selkirk, NY/Bethlehem) and Bree Fargnoli (Binghamton, NY/Chenango Forks). The Hawks lead would see 12-6 before back-to-back Continentals threes knotted things up with 3:21 to go. Hartwick briefly regained a 16-13 lead, but the hosts scored six in a row to end the period and lead 19-16 after one.
Hamilton extended their lead to 23-16 within the first two-and-a-half minutes of the second quarter, and after two Giuliana Pritchard (Amsterdam, NY/Amsterdam) free throws, stretched it to 28-18 via a Katie Hansen lay-up and Kelcie Zarle three (both assisted by Tessa Cole). The home lead got to 11, and stayed at nine or more until Kayley Ericson's Franklin, CT/Norwich Free Academy) traditional three-point play later on made the score 33-26 at the half.
The Hawks cut two points off the lead within a couple of minutes of the third quarter, and later put it at three when Molly Kirby's pull-up jumper made it 38-35 with 4:17 to go (the bucket was the first score for either side in 2:46). Hamilton held off 'Wick for the remainder of the third, and led 41-37 after a low-scoring ten minutes.
A Molly Kirby lay-up and Isabella Astorino (Warwick, NY/Warwick Valley) free throw cut the deficit to one at 41-40 to open up the final frame. Hamilton's lead got back to five at 46-41 just under three minutes in, though an Astorino lay-up with 6:52 on the clock made it 46-43 ahead of a Hawks timeout. 'Wick would again cut their hole to one, this time on two Molly Kirby free throws with 4:49 to go.
That was as close as the Hawks would get. They had multiple chances to tie and take the lead over the next couple minutes before Hamilton's Emily Hall drained a long jumper to put the score at 49-46 in favor of the home side with 2:33 on the clock. That margin stayed at three or more for the remainder of the evening, as they hit their free throws down the stretch en route to the nine-point win.
Pritchard led the Hawks with 15 points, also contributing on the glass with seven rebounds. Maggie Kirby had nine points and a game-high eight rebounds, and Molly Kirby had six points, six boards, two assists, and two steals.
Neither team shot all that well from the field, as Hamilton outshot the Hawks 31.6% to 27.8%. A big difference between the sides came from beyond the arc, as the Continentals were 5-of-12 compared to Hartwick's 1-of-8. The Hawks had 25 turnovers to Hamilton's 18, although that only manifested into a 13-12 difference in points off turnovers for the home team.
'Wick is back to it for their final game of 2021 in a week-and-a-half, as they host SUNY Morrisville on Monday, December 13 at 4 p.m.
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