CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - Capping a 2-0 week for the Hartford men's basketball team, junior captain Joe Zeglinski was named the America East Player of the Week, the conference announced on Monday. Zeglinski averaged 22.0 points per game in the victories at UMBC and New Hampshire, leading the team in both contests as they snapped an 11-game losing streak and then began a winning streak of their own.
Facing the top defensive team in the conference, Zeglinski scored 21 of his season-high 26 points in the second half against New Hampshire on Saturday, erasing a five-point halftime deficit for the Hawks and stymieing the Wildcat defenders. With Hartford trailing by seven midway through the second half, Zeglinski hit three-pointers on back-to-back possessions to bring his team within one. Minutes later, he hit two free throws to give Hartford its first lead, one they would not relinquish.
Zeglinski, who led all scorers with 18 points in the Hawks' 74-68 victory over UMBC on Thursday night, pulled down six rebounds in each of the two Hartford triumphs. Zeglinski also led the way as the Hawks, who entered the week last in the conference in free throw shooting, went 28-of-32 from the charity stripe for the week. Zeglinski was 4-for-4 in both games.
"We are all very happy for Joe," said head coach Dan Leibovitz. "This has been a good week for us, and Joe has been a big part of that. He did a great job of bouncing back from a tough game against Boston University, as he always does with two very strong games at UMBC and at home against New Hampshire. I know he's worked very hard to come back from his injury, and we're very happy for him."
This is the second career America East Player of the Week honor for the graduate of Archbishop Ryan in Philadelphia. He last achieved the recognition on February 19, 2008, the last time any Hawk grabbed the honor.
Zeglinski sits fourth in the league with 16.2 points per game, and tops the conference in three-pointers made (57) and threes-per-game (3.4). His 57 trifectas ties him with Sacred Heart's Corey Hassan for fifth place in the nation, just seven behind first place Kelvin Lewis of Houston.
The honor marks two straight weeks in which Hartford Hawks have been recognized by the league. Charles White was named the league's Rookie of the Week on January 11.
Hartford has a busy week in front of them, starting on Tuesday night at Patrick Gym against the first-place Vermont Catamounts. After that battle, they will return home for games against Binghamton on Thursday and Maine on Saturday. Tip offs for Vermont and Binghamton are set for 7 p.m., while Saturday's tilt will start at 1 p.m. All the action can be heard on the flagship station of Hartford men's basketball, WDRC-1360.
