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WEST HARTFORD, Conn. - Joe Zeglinski capped a game-ending 13-2 Hartford run with a clinching three-pointer as the Hawks came all the way back to defeat Binghamton, 64-63. Zeglinski scored the final five points of the game for Hartford, his only two field goals of the second half, hitting the final dagger with just over 15 seconds remaining in the game. He finished with 16 points for the game.
"I was standing right behind Joe when he took that last shot," head coach Dan Leibvoitz said. "It looked to me like he never got a good grip on it, but he got it up there anyway. He's been hitting those shots for us for a long time, we're glad to have him keep hitting them."
Zeglinski and Binghamton's Dylan Talley, who scored 17 points on 7-of-7 shooting, were named the Nestle PurinaONE America East Players of the Game.
Binghamton held a 61-51 lead with 4:53 to play after Greer Wright dunked for two of his 17 points. Hartford called a timeout, and the message came across loud and clear.
Charles White started the rally by slicing to the rim and hitting a layup as he was fouled. Although he missed the free throw attempt, the gritty play sparked the Hartford team and began to swing momentum. Morgan Sabia followed by pulling down a defensive rebound and quickly drawing a foul on the other end, sinking both free throws.
Zeglinski added a pair of freebies of his own at 3:19 to pull Hartford within four, and after he cleaned up a Mahamoud Jabbi miss, Milton Burton's running one-hander left the Hawks just two points down with 2:32 to play.
The score stayed that way until less than a minute remained, when Zeglinski came off a screen and found himself with a wide open lane to the rim. He took advantage, flipping in a lay-up with 40 seconds remaining that tied the score. Wright broke a 4:30 scoring drought on the other end with a short jumper, but Hartford had the answer.
Bringing the ball upcourt, Burton recognized a breakdown in Binghamton's transition defense, finding Zeglinski wide open on the right wing. Despite only six seconds coming off the clock on the possession, the shot was too good for Zeglinski to pass up, and when his 269th career three-pointer swished through the net, the Chase Arena crowd erupted.
One final stop was all that was needed for Hartford to end up on the winning end of a nail-biting game, something they have experienced a few times this season on the other end.
"On the one hand, I feel for Binghamton, because I know what it's like to be on the other end of a game like that," Leibovitz remarked. "But on the other hand, I am very proud of our guys for continuing to fight and for not giving up."
Hartford finished with 28 rebounds, outdoing its opponent on the boards for just the third time this season. Morgan Sabia pulled down a game-high eight rebounds, finishing just shy of his second career double-double as he knocked down 12 points.
The scoring attack was balanced overall, as Joel Barkers finished with 13 points - including a crucial 5-of-6 from the free throw line - and Milton Burton also tallied 13 points, dishing out three assists.
Hartford has now won three of four, with free throw shooting playing a big role in all three victories. The Hawks shot 14-of-16 from the charity stripe on Thursday night (87.5%), and while Binghamton hit at nearly the same percentage, they had fewer opportunities, going just 6-for-7.
Early in the game, it looked like Hartford might be able to earn a much more comfortable victory. The Hawks build up a seven point lead in the first half, taking advantage of back-to-back Binghamton turnovers to grab a 26-19 advantage. After Zeglinski and Burton hit the team's first 15 points in less than six minutes, though, the duo was held scoreless for the rest of the period. Morgan Sabia added seven first-half points, including back-to-back buckets from the right corner - one from downtown and one with his foot on the three-point line.
As the half closed, though, it was the Bearcats' turn to make use of Hartford miscues. The Hawks finished the stanza with seven turnovers to Binghamton's six, and the Bearcats closed on a 4-0 run that gave them a 33-32 halftime advantage. For just the sixth time all season, Hartford finished with more turnovers than its opponent (15 to Binghamton's 13).
Now 3-3 in the America East (5-14 overall), the Hawks are alone in fifth place. They welcome second-place Maine into Chase Arena at Reich Family Pavilion on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. Tickets are available at the Malcolm and Brenda Berman Athletics Box Office at Reich Family Pavilion, or by calling 860-768-HAWK.
