WEST HARTFORD, CT ? A shorthanded University of Hartford men's basketball team stayed right with the University at Albany until a late run pushed the Great Danes to a 61-55 victory Monday night at Chase Arena at Reich Family Pavilion.
With only six players seeing major minutes, the Hawks (9-15 overall, 3-8 America East) slowed the game down on offense and held the conference's second-highest scoring team (68.9 ppg) to its second-lowest total of the season. Albany (17-7 overall, 10-2 America East), which won its seventh straight game, shot 49 percent in the contest and made 19-of-26 (73 percent) from the free throw line.
The Great Danes led 24-23 at the half but fell behind in the early stages of the second stanza. Hartford took its first lead at 31-29 on back-to-back baskets from sophomore Fabrice Tafo with 15:40 to go. The Hawks held the lead until Brian Connelly put Albany back on top with a bucket with 9:00 to play to make it 38-37.
Albany would never trail again and used a 10-1 run during a five-minute span to take a 50-40 lead. Jason Siggers, who finished with a game-high 18 points, capped the run with a layup with 2:29 to play. Hartford was forced to foul in the final two minutes and the Great Danes responded by going 11-of-14 from the free throw line.
Siggers and Hartford senior Bo Taylor were named Nestle Purina ONE America East Players of the Game. Taylor scored a team-high 17 points and pulled down five rebounds in 37 minutes. Freshman Joe Zeglinski added 14 points and six boards for the Hawks. Brian Lillis and Brent Wilson each scored 10 points for the Great Danes. Hartford held Jamar Wilson, the conference's leading scorer, to a season-low eight points.
The Hawks shot 43 percent for the game but went 0-for-11 from three-point range. Hartford entered the game with a streak of 461 consecutive games with a made three-point basket. The last time the Hawks failed to make a three-point shot was against Siena on January 16, 1991.
Hartford will next host the University of New Hampshire on Thursday, February 8 at 7 p.m. at Chase Arena at Reich Family Pavilion. The Wildcats defeated the Hawks in the season's first meeting by a 72-59 final.
