Box Score
PHILADELPHIA – In a homecoming for several members of the Hartford men's basketball team, two Philadelphia natives were among the scoring stars for the Hawks, but it was not enough as they fell to La Salle, 75-62. Junior Joe Zeglinski, a product of Philadelphia's Archbishop Ryan High School, finished with 18 points. Sophomore Clayton Brothers, a graduate of Roxborough High School, finished with a career-high 14 points, including his first three-pointers of the season to help key a second-half comeback attempt.
Junior Morgan Sabia led the team with 19 points. He and Zeglinski combined for 24 of the Hawks' first 30 points.
“It was a great atmosphere today,” head coach Dan Leibovitz remarked. “We had a full section of fans behind our bench, and that was great to see.”
After falling behind as much as 23 in the second half, the Hawks began chipping away. Brothers knocked down two three-pointers, his first of the season.
“Joe [Zeglinski] shot really well for us in the first half,” Leibovitz said. “In the second half, La Salle did a good job keying on Joe, and we had to have other guys step up. Clayton did a good job of that.”
The sharp-shooting of Brothers and a smooth turnaround jumper from Zeglinski cut the deficit to 60-47 with 8:54 remaining, forcing La Salle to call a time out. Hartford could not get over the hump, though, as La Salle maintained a double digit lead throughout the period.
Joe Zeglinski and Morgan Sabia kept the Hawks in the game in the first half, scoring 20 of the team's 26 points. Zeglinski poured in four three-pointers for 12 first-half points, moving him past Ryan Howse and Bob Tanguay for 12th place on the Hartford all-time scoring list. Sabia added eight in the first period.
Hartford is back in action on Tuesday when they visit St. Francis (NY) with tip off scheduled for 7 p.m. The Hawks will travel directly to Brooklyn after today's game. Tuesday's contest can be heard on the flagship station of Hartford basketball, WDRC-1360. Jeff Dooley and Randy LaVigne have the call.
