WEST HARTFORD, CT ? The University of Hartford men's basketball team gutted out an 80-79 victory in its America East opener against Binghamton University on Wednesday night at Chase Arena at Reich Family Pavilion.
Junior Warren McLendon hit a pair of free throws with 2.4 seconds remaining in the game for the winning points. Binghamton had trailed 72-62 with 4:34 to play before rallying to take a 79-78 lead with 11 seconds remaining on a three-pointer by Milos Klimovic. The Hawks worked the ball to McLendon in the post on the ensuing play, and he was fouled by Klimovic on his move to the basket. The Hartford big man, a 55 percent free throw shooter on the season, calmly swished both attempts.
Recent history made the final 2.4 seconds tense ones for the Hartford fans in attendance. Mike Gordon, Binghamton's senior point guard, had hit game-winning shots at the buzzer the last two times the teams met in West Hartford. He again got the ball for the final shot, but after racing past the midcourt stripe he hoisted up a desperation heave that was off the mark.
McLendon and Binghamton's Dwayne Jackson were named Nestle PurinaONE America East Players of the Game. McLendon finished with 19 points and five rebounds and was 9-of-11 from the free throw line. Jackson scored a career-high 24 points on 5-of-10 shooting from the floor and 12-of-13 shooting from the line. He also added a team-high seven rebounds.
Things looked good early for Hartford (7-9 overall, 1-0 AE) as it jumped out to a 9-2 lead to start the game. Binghamton (5-10 overall, 1-2 AE), however, responded with 11 straight points and took a 13-9 lead on a three-pointer by Klimovic. The Bearcats would ride their hot three-point shooting for the rest of the half, pumping the lead to as many as nine points. Binghamton shot 8-of-14 from long range in the stanza and held a 39-32 lead at intermission.
Hartford shot 52 percent in the first half but couldn't make anything from the free throw line. The Hawks missed their first six free throw attempts and finished 1-of-7 from the line in the half.
Junior Michael Turner got things going for the Hawks in the second half, scoring the team's first eight points of the stanza. He canned a pair of three-pointers on back-to-back possessions to open the period, cutting the deficit to one at 39-38. Hartford eventually tied the game on a three-point play by freshman Kevin Estes with 17:21 remaining and then took the lead on another Turner basket at the 16:57 mark.
Neither team led by more than five points until the Hawks reeled off a 10-0 run to take a 62-50 lead with 9:23 to go. Hartford kept the margin around double figures for the next five minutes, until Binghamton started its final comeback by once again bombing away from the outside. The Bearcats hit four three-pointers in the final 3:41 and outscored the Hawks 17-8 during the stretch.
Junior Jaret Von Rosenberg led four Hawks in double figures with 23 points. Turner finished with his second double-double of the season with 14 points and a game-high 10 rebounds, and sophomore Joe Zeglinski added 10 points. Hartford shot a season-high 50 percent for the game and turned things around at the free throw line in the second half (16-of-19).
Gordon (19 points) and Klimovic (15 points) also finished in double figures for the Bearcats. The Hawks held leading scorer Lazar Trifunovic (15.9 ppg) to only seven points.
Hartford returns to action against Boston University on Saturday, January 12 at Chase Arena at the Reich Family Pavilion. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. and the game will be televised live on NESN.
