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WEST HARTFORD, Conn. - As the Hartford men's basketball team sat on a redeye flight from California to the East Coast late on the evening of December 31, many of them felt as if they had missed out on the New Year's celebration. But on Saturday afternoon, when the basketball dropped through the hoop on Milton Burton's free throw with two seconds to go to give Hartford a 59-55 lead over Boston University, the Hawks officially served notice to the America East. A new year is upon us.

Hartford (7-12, 4-2) stormed back after falling behind 18-2 and 49-33 in the second half to take the 59-55 victory over the Terriers (9-12, 4-3). Joe Zeglinski, whose off-balanced teardrop from 10 feet gave the Hawks a 58-55 lead with 24 seconds to play, was named the game's America East Player of the Game. He led all scorers with 15 points, scoring 10 in the second half. D.J. Irving took home the honors for the Terriers.

It did not look like it would be the Hawks' day early on, as Hartford fell behind 13-0 and then 18-2 before Anthony Minor knocked in a putback for the team's first field goal. The Terriers led 23-7 before Hartford went on an 11-0 run to cut the lead to 23-18 with 6:23 to play. Morgan Sabia buried three straight three-pointers and Milton Burton finished a fast-break lay-up after a steal by Clayton Brothers to fuel the run.

Sabia would finish with 11 points, while Burton added 10 for the game.

Two minutes later, Minor pounded home another two points to get the Hawks back within four. It was as close as they would get in the second half, as the Terriers finished the period on a 10-2 run to extend the lead back to 12.

Although their swarming defense was not as effective in the second half, the Terriers nonetheless made the most of their opportunities, grabbing offensive rebounds and forcing jump shots from the Hawks to extend their lead to 49-33 with 12:09 to play. It matched their largest lead of the game, but Burton began to cut into it with a three on the Hawks' next possesion.

After a Boston University dunk put the lead back to 15, Hartford scored the next five points on a three-ball from Zeglinski and a contested lay-up from Brothers. It was 51-41, and the Hawks' bench and the crowd of 1,518 was getting loud and excited at the possibility of what was to come.

The Terriers got two free throws to push their advantage back up to 12 with 9:32 to play. They would score just two more points - free throws by Irving with 7:16 to play - the rest of the game.

A key to the Hawks' comeback was stifling defense and relentless pressure. Clayton Brothers, who hit a huge three from the right corner with the shot clock running down to cut the deficit to five points, was the catalyst on that end, drawing an offensive foul on Irving that rattled the Terriers' guard midway through the second half. Brothers finished with five points, five boards, three assists and two steals in his career-best 19th start of the season.

With just over four minutes to play, Milton Burton weaved into the lane and freed himself for a short jumper that found nothing but net, making it a one-possession game for the first time since Boston University led 2-0. After a stop and a rebound from Genesis Maciel, the Hawks had the ball back with a chance to tie. Maciel missed his three-point attempt, but Brothers battled the Terriers' size inside to grab a board. His putback was no good, but Burton reached through and tipped the ball in, cutting the lead to 55-54 with 3:20 top play, and forcing a timeout from the Terriers' bench.

The score remained the same for nearly two minutes, as both sides got big stops and Boston University's Darryl Partin missed two crucial free throws. As Hartford brought the ball upcourt with just over two minutes to play, they worked the shot clock down towards the end, finding Minor down low with time winding down. Minor's first attempt at a lead-grabbing lay-up was blocked, but he corralled the rebound, composed himself and powered home a bucket with one second on the shot clock and 1:29 on the game clock. Hartford had its first lead of the game, 56-55.

By this point, Chase Arena at the Reich Family Pavilion was shaking, and the Terriers were rattled. A John Holland three was no good, and Zeglinski flew in to secure the rebound. After a timeout by head coach John Gallagher, the Hawks again worked the clock to their advantage, letting Zeglinski take control. He had his man one-on-one, and fired up an off-balanced shot as the shot clock expired. It may not have looked pretty leaving his hand, but it barely touched even the net as it fell through to give Hartford a 58-55 lead.

Burton's free throw following two missed threes by the Terriers iced the game away.

For the game, Hartford shot just 35.6 percent compared to 45.5 for the Terriers. However, the Hawks held Boston University to 1-for-10 shooting from beyond the arc in the second half, and just 6-for-20 shooting (30.0 percent) from the floor after halftime. Despite coming up two rebounds shy of the Terriers overall, Hartford outrebounded the Terriers 20-16 in the second half, grabbing 10 offensive boards. Boston University managed just 10 offensive rebounds all game. The Hawks converted that to a 16-7 advantage on second-chance points for the game.

Saturday's game served as the Hawks' annual Coaches vs. Cancer event. Head coach John Gallagher and his staff, as well as the Boston University coaching staff, wore sneakers as part of the Suits and Sneakers awareness weekend. College basketball coaches nationwide have worn sneakers with their sideline attire to raise cancer awareness and remind fans that by making healthy lifestyle choices, such as regular exercise and a healthy diet, they can reduce their own cancer risk. In addition, Gallagher donated $485 - a dollar for every student in attendance on Saturday - to the American Cancer Society.

Hartford will hit the road on Tuesday, visiting defending America East champion Vermont at 7:00 p.m. Fans can catch all the action on WDRC-1360 AM, the flagship station of Hartford men's basketball. Jeff Dooley and Randy LaVigne will have the calls. Vermont will also be the opponent next time the Hawks play at home, on February 3 at 7:00 p.m.