BOX SCORE

ORONO, Maine - Joe Zeglinski had 13 second half points and Morgan Sabia continued his hot streak with a game-high 19 points as the Hartford men's basketball team got the America East season off on the right foot on Wednesday night, winning 61-59 at Maine. Sabia added a team-best seven rebounds and was named the America East Player of the Game, along with Maine's Troy Barnies.

Zeglinski finished with 16 points for the game, leaving him just four shy of Justin Bailey for third place on Hartford's all-time Division I scoring list. The game marked his 118th career outing - all starts - as Zeglinski tied three Hawks including current Director of Basketball Operations Brian Glowiak for the school's all-time record for games played.

Hartford trailed 26-22 at halftime after shooting just 28.0 percent (7-for-25) from the field. Sabia had nine first-half points, which helped keep the Hawks in the game.

Things improved dramatically in the second half. Sabia got things started with a three-pointer on Hartford's first possession, making it a one-point game. Two minutes later, Milton Burton's three-pointer tied the score. Burton would score eight of Hartford's next 10 points as the Hawks took their first lead of the second half on his three-pointer with 14:40 to play, leaving the Hawks up 35-34.

Play seesawed back and forth for the next several minutes, but with 10:25 to play, Zeglinski was knocked to the ground while attempting a three-pointer from the top of the key. He went to the line and buried all three freebies, giving Hartford a lead it would not relinquish.

The lead grew to as much as eight points with 9:01 to play, when Sabia banked in a runner to make it 50-42.

From there, Maine slowly climbed back into the game. When Gerald McLemore pumped in a three with 4:31 to play, the Black Bears were back within three, and the crowd of 1,075 at Alfond Arena started to come alive for the first time all night. Hartford responded with a nice give-and-go lay-up by Anthony Minor off a feed from Zeglinski.

Andrew Rogers hit a three for Maine, and after the Black Bears got a stop, reigning America East Player of the Week Troy Barnies put in a lay-up to tie the score at 57. Quickly, the Hawks went back down the floor and once again found Minor underneath for a lay-up and a lead. Hartford would not let Maine equal them again.

The win, Hartford's first on the road this season, is the first league victory for head coach John Gallagher. Ironically, it came at Maine, the site of previous head coach Dan Leibovitz's first America East victory during the 2006-07 season.

Hartford will be back on the court at home on Sunday afternoon when the Hawks host Albany in their home conference opener. Tip time between the Hawks and Great Danes is set for 3:00 p.m. Tickets are still available, and can be reserved 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 hear all the action on the flagship station of Hartford men's basketball, WDRC-1360 AM with Jeff Dooley and Randy LaVigne at the mics.