WEST HARTFORD, CT ? For the second straight year the University of Hartford men's basketball team won a closely contested game against Yale University, pulling out a 73-70 victory Saturday night at Chase Arena at Reich Family Pavilion.
The win closed out the non-conference season for Hartford (6-9 overall), which starts up the America East slate against Binghamton next week. Three Hawks finished in double figures led by sophomore Joe Zeglinski, who was named Nestle PurinaONE America East Player of the Game. He scored a game-high 22 points and hit the go-ahead shot that snapped a 67-67 tie with 21.4 seconds remaining.
Hartford led 55-46 with 8:11 to play in the game before Yale (4-8 overall) made its charge. The Bulldogs reeled off a 9-1 run to cut the deficit to one, as Travis Pinick converted an old-fashioned three-point play with 5:05 remaining to make it 56-55.
Yale later took a 64-63 lead on a three-pointer by Caleb Holmes with 2:11 to go. The Hawks tied the game on the following possession, as junior Warren McLendon made one of two from the free throw line. Eric Flato then answered with a deep three of his own to put the Bulldogs back out front by three with 1:33 to play.
Hartford's response came from junior Michael Turner, who buried a trey from the wing to tie the game once again. Turner, who finished with 11 points, had missed all five of his three-point attempts prior to game-tying bucket. Caleb Holmes tried to put Yale back on top with another three but came up short, and Turner pulled down the rebound to give the Hawks a chance at the lead.
Zeglinski made the most of the opportunity, scoring his final basket of the night on a pull-up jumper in the lane. Yale had plenty of time to answer, but Alex Zampier was called for a travel with 9.7 seconds remaining to give possession back to the Hawks. Von Rosenberg was fouled and calmly made both free throws, even after Yale called a timeout to ice him before his first attempt.
The Bulldogs did not go down quietly, as Flato banked in a three-pointer with 2.3 seconds to cut the lead to 71-70. Hartford again got the ball inbounds to Von Rosenberg, who was fouled with 1.5 seconds on the clock. The Hawks' best free throw shooter at 92 percent, Von Rosenberg nailed both freebies to make the margin three, and Yale's last-second attempt was off the mark.
Flato led four Bulldogs in double figures with 17 points, 15 of which came in the second half. Caleb Holmes added 14 points while Pinick and Ross Morin chipped in with 13 and 10, respectively. Yale shot 39 percent for the contest and held a 41-28 advantage on the glass.
Freshman Anthony Minor scored a career-high 12 points and added four rebounds for the Hawks. McLendon had seven points and was a presence in the paint, pulling down a team-high seven rebounds while blocking four shots. Zeglinski also dished out a game-high five assists on the night. Hartford shot 49 percent from the floor and 79 percent from the free throw line, its best effort at the charity stripe all season.
Hartford begins its 16-game conference slate against Binghamton on Wednesday, January 9 at Chase Arena at Reich Family Pavilion. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.
