BURLINGTON, VT ? The University of Hartford men's basketball team had its five-game winning streak snapped by the University of Vermont, 94-82, on Wednesday night at Patrick Gymnasium.
Hartford (15-14 overall, 9-5 America East) shot just 39 percent and turned the ball over 18 times. Vermont (13-13 overall, 8-6 America East) snapped a three-game losing streak by shooting 54 percent and controlling the glass by a 40-32 margin.
Marques Blakely led the Catamounts with game highs of 30 points and 20 rebounds and also added six blocks and five steals. Freshman Morgan Sabia scored a career-high 21 points to pace the Hawks. Blakely and junior Michael Turner were named America East Players of the Game. Turner tied a career high with 19 points and had five rebounds, four steals and three assists.
Hartford came out strong at the game's start and led by as many as eight points in the first six minutes. Vermont, however, took control behind an 8-0 run to take a 19-17 lead with 10:48 remaining in the half. The Catamounts didn't trail for the rest of the half, expanding the lead to as many as eight before taking a 39-36 lead into the locker room at the break.
Turner kept the Hawks in it with 12 first-half points. Hartford shot 43 percent in the stanza but couldn't slow down Vermont's offense, which shot 54 percent. Marqus Blakely scored 11 points in the first half and went to the free throw line more times (12) than the entire Hawks team (10).
Hartford closed the gap in the second half and took a 51-50 lead on a three-pointer by sophomore Joe Zeglinski with 14:35 to go. The lead changed hands three more times over the next few minutes, and a trey by Kyle Cieplicki put the Catamounts up 55-53 with 12:06 remaining.
Vermont would never again lose the lead, though Hartford kept it close and trailed by only four following a monster dunk by junior Warren McLendon. He was fouled on the play and hit the free throw to make it 61-57 with 9:39 to play.
The Catamounts responded with a 10-2 run over the next four minutes to pull away. Cieplicki closed the run with back-to-back jumpers that gave Vermont a 71-59 lead with 6:11 to go. The Hawks never got closer than eight points in the final minutes.
Zeglinski and McLendon also finished in double figures with 17 and 12 points, respectively. Junior Jaret Von Rosenberg added five points, eight rebounds and seven assists.
Hartford will have an eight-day layoff before traveling to Boston University on Thursday, February 28 at 7 p.m. The Hawks are still in sole possession of second place in the America East and are a game ahead of four teams tied in third place.
