BOX SCORE
NEW HAVEN, CT - The University of Hartford men's basketball team let a nine-point halftime lead slip away in a 71-63 loss at Yale University on Saturday afternoon at John. J. Lee Amphitheater.
Senior Jaret von Rosenberg led all scorers with 24 points and added a career-high eight rebounds to pace the Hawks. Sophomore Andres Torres also finished in double figures with 14 points and recorded a career-high five steals.
Hartford (5-11 overall) led 38-29 at the break after a strong defensive effort in the first half. The Hawks forced 11 turnovers and made six steals while shooting 50 percent from the floor. Von Rosenberg and Torres each scored 12 points in the stanza as Hartford's starters provided all but two of the 38 points. Torres also made four steals in the first half.
Hartford came out cold to start the second half, going more than five minutes without a field goal as Yale (5-9 overall) erased the deficit behind a 10-1 run. Hartford recovered with a 7-2 spurt that included back-to-back buckets from freshman Clayton Brothers to take a 48-43 lead with 12:34 to go.
The Hawks couldn't extend the lead as the Bulldogs hung close throughout the final 10 minutes. Yale made its move behind the play of Travis Pinick, who scored 13 of his 14 points in the second half. The Bulldogs took the lead for the first time in the second half on six straight points from Pinick, the go-ahead points coming at the line for a 60-58 advantage with 5:52 remaining.
Yale never gave up the lead once it had it. The Bulldogs went to the low post in the final minutes and got three huge baskets from Ross Morin, who finished with a team-high 17 points and 10 rebounds.
Hartford played most of the second half without senior Michael Turner, who picked up two fouls within the first four minutes and went to the bench with four for the game. Sophomore Morgan Sabia also sat extended minutes due to foul trouble.
Yale held a 37-24 advantage on the glass and outscored Hartford 26-20 in the paint. The Bulldogs, who shot 52 percent, committed only three turnovers in the second half to finish with 14 in the game. The Hawks turned the ball over only eight times and shot 42 percent for the contest.
Hartford will next host Maine on Wednesday, January 14 at Chase Arena at the Reich Family Pavilion. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.
