WEST HARTFORD, CT ? For the second time this season, the University of Hartford men's basketball team set a school record for three-pointers with 18 in an 82-63 win over the University of New Hampshire on Sunday afternoon at Chase Arena at Reich Family Pavilion.
Hartford (15-13 overall, 9-4 America East) extended its winning streak to five games for the first time since the 2003-04 season. The Hawks also remained in sole possession of second place in the conference. New Hampshire (7-18 overall, 4-9 America East) dropped its fifth straight game.
Sophomore Joe Zeglinski broke a school record on his own, drilling 9-of-10 from behind the three-point arc to finish with a career-high 31 points. The previous record of eight treys in a game was shared by Aaron Cook and Jack Ayer. Only six players have hit more three-pointers in a game this season in all of Division I basketball. Zeglinski and UNH's Eric Gilchrese (26 points) were named Nestle PurinaONE America East Players of the Game.
The Hawks shot a season-high 67 percent from long range in the game, and five players contributed to the record. Entering the season the record stood at 12 in a single game, which Hartford demolished with 17 at North Texas on December 8. The Hawks tied the mark late in the second half against New Hampshire, and junior walk-on Clint Kuban hit the 18th three of the game 27 seconds to play.
Hartford came out firing from the start and took control midway through the first half. The Hawks ripped off a 22-0 run to take a 41-20 lead with 2:47 to play in the stanza. Hartford made eight straight shots during the six-minute stretch, including six from three-point range. Zeglinski had three treys during the run while freshman Morgan Sabia had two.
The Hawks led 44-25 at the half after shooting 11-of-14 (79 percent) from long distance. Zeglinski made all five of his three-point attempts while Sabia had three and freshman Andres Torres had two.
Zeglinski was still feeling it in the second half and hit his first two threes to make it seven in a row. His first and only miss from behind the arc came with 16:27 to go in the half.
Hartford led by as many as 24 points in the second half and held a comfortable lead the entire way. The Wildcats got as close as 13 when a Gilchrese jumper made it 62-49 with 7:51 remaining, but the Hawks responded with three-straight treys to go back up by 22. Zeglinski had two during the stretch, including his record-breaking ninth three with 7:18 to play.
Hartford shot a season-high 60 percent for the contest. The last time the Hawks cracked 60-percent shooting in a game was against Stony Brook during the 2002-03 season. Hartford also outrebounded New Hampshire 32-27, the first time in 19 games the Hawks have topped an opponent on the boards.
Sabia finished with a career-high 20 points on 7-of-10 shooting and was 5-of-7 from three-point range. He and junior Warren McLendon each pulled down a team-high seven rebounds. Junior Michael Turner dished out five assists to become the first Hartford player since Riyad King in 1999-00 to record 100 assists in a season. Turner also became the first player ever in Hartford's Division I history to record over 200 points, 150 rebounds, 100 assists and 50 steals in a single season.
Hartford will next play at the University of Vermont on Wednesday, February 20 at 7 p.m.
