Box Score
BINGHAMTON, N.Y. - Joe Zeglinski scored 17 of his game-high 22 points in the first half, but the Binghamton Bearcats proved to be too much down the stretch as they pulled away from the Hartford men's basketball team, 66-53. Hartford (9-21, 5-10) can now finish no higher than sixth in the America East as it enters its final game of the regular season.
Zeglinski came out on fire, hitting the first 14 points of the game for Hartford as they held a 16-9early lead over the Bearcats. The first half was defined by runs, as the Hawks - primarily Zeglinski - put together a 13-0 run following a game-opening 9-3 spurt by the Bearcats.
Binghamton trailed 21-16 when they went on a 12-0 run of their own to take a 28-21 lead in the half's closing seconds. The Hawks held the ball, though, and junior Andres Torres squared up for a three-pointer near the top of the key. He was fouled as he hit the bucket, completing the rare four-point play to essentially end the period.
It was no secret that Binghamton was going to try to take Zeglinski out of the game in the second half, and early on, it appeared that junior MIlton Burton would be the beneficiary. Burton, who was coming off a career-high 23-point performance at Maine on Sunday afternoon, smoothly dropped two three-pointers early in the half as Hartford kept pace with the Bearcats.
Burton finished with 13 points.
Unfortunately for the Hawks, the Bearcats were shooting well as a team. Coming into the game as the worst three-point shooting team in the conference, Binghamton hit 9-of-22 three-pointers on the evening (.409). Kyrie Sutton led four Bearcats in double figures with 18 points. Dylan Talley, Moussa Camara and Greer Wright each hit three trifectas for Binghamton.
In a physical game down low, junior Morgan Sabia made up for an off shooting night with a team-high nine rebounds to accompany four points. Junior Joel Barkers added five points, four rebounds and two assists, while Anthony Minor had four rebounds and a block. Zeglinski found himself in position for eight rebounds, adding two steals.
Hartford, which currently sits tied for sixth place with New Hampshire, can wrap up the sixth seed with a win on Senior Day on Sunday afternoon when they take on Albany at the Chase Family Arena. The Hawks hold the tiebreaker over New Hampshire, and while they cannot reach fifth-place Binghamton with a win, they could drop to the seventh seed with a loss and a New Hampshire win against Stony Brook.
Hartford and Albany will tip off at 4 p.m. on Sunday. The game will be preceded by a ceremony to honor seniors David Bookman and Zack Zeglinski, as well as junior Morgan Sabia who eclipsed the 1,000 point milestone last week against Vermont. Fans are encouraged to arrive earlier than normal and secure their tickets in advance to ensure that they will see the full ceremony. Tickets are available by calling 860-768-HAWK or by visiting the Malcolm and Brenda Berman Athletics Box Office at the Reich Family Pavilion. Fans who can't make it to the game can listen live on the flagship station of Hartford men's basketball, WDRC-1360.
