Box Score
BOSTON - Joel Barkers and Joe Zeglinski each put together double-doubles, but Jake O'Brien hit a three-pointer with five seconds remaining which gave Boston University a 58-55 victory over the Hartford men's basketball team. The bucket came with Hartford up, 55-54, and the Terriers would hit one of two free throws after the Hawks' next possession came up short to provide the final margin.
Barkers and O'Brien were named the Nestle PurinaONE America East Players of the Game. Barkers, a junior college transfer from Washington, DC, came up with 19 points and a career-high 13 rebounds. He came off the bench to play 25 minutes. Perhaps most encouragingly, Barkers hit 9-of-16 free throws on the afternoon to erase memories of an 0-for-7 performance against UMBC on Thursday.
Zeglinski opened the game with a three-pointer which put Hartford up, 3-0, but the Hawks struggled from the field after that, hitting just one of their next twelve shots. The Terriers opened up a ten-point lead, 19-9, with 7:42 to go in the first half before the Hawks battled back. Barkers scored eight of his points in the first half as Hartford ended the first 20 minutes of play on an 8-2 run, pulling the intermission score to 25-21.
Coming out of the break, Hartford took advantage of sluggish shooting by the Terriers to pull themselves even. In fact, the Hawks and Terriers were tied eight times throughout the course of the second half as Boston University hit just three of its first 19 field goals. Three times, though, the Hawks had the ball in a tie game with a chance to take the lead but could not convert.
Not discouraged by that, Hartford continued to answer everything the Terriers could throw their way. Finally, with 2:22 remaining in the contest, junior Milton Burton hit a runner in the paint to put Hartford up, 52-50.
Although he finished with ten points, Zeglinski was stymied for much of the game as Boston's defenders keyed on the Hawks' leading scorer. He hit just two field goals in the game, both from three-point land. One of the two came in the game's final minute, as the junior buried a three from the left wing to regain the lead for the Hawks, 55-54.
That was where the score stood as the Terriers played for the final true possession of the game. 'Brien, who finished with 16 points and 14 rebounds, stepped out from the top of key and drained a three-pointer which essentially ended the Hawks' upset bid.
Despite Boston University's imposing size inside, the Hawks controlled the boards, pulling down 51 rebounds to the Terriers' 43. It was the first time a Hartford team had 50 or more rebounds in a game since January 22, 2002, a 67-65 overtime win at Dartmouth. In addition to Zeglinski and Barkers' impressive performances on the glass, Morgan Sabia pulled down nine rebounds for Hartford.
With just two home games remaining before the America East Tournament comes to Hartford, the Hawks will welcome Vermont into Chase Arena at the Reich Family Pavilion on Wednesday. Game time is set for 7 p.m. Tickets are still available, and can be purchased by calling 860-768-HAWK or by visiting the Malcolm and Brenda Berman Athletics Box Office.
