Great Danes Triumphant in West Hartford, Knock Off Hawks 46-43 at The Chase Family Arena

BOX SCORE

WEST HARTFORD, CONN. - The University at Albany Great Danes came into the Chase Arena with the best record following the non-conference portion of the season and they leave tied with Boston University atop the America East standings following a 43-46 victory over the Hawks on Saturday afternoon. Hartford (5-11 overall, 2-1 America East) was led in the game by sophomore Ruthanne Doherty who compiled the Hawks first double double of the season with 12 points and 12 rebounds.

Doherty's 12 points is the first time this season the sophomore, who started 21 games as a rookie, finished with double figures in either the scoring or rebounding column. She finished the game shooting 50 percent from the field, 6-of-12 overall. Joining her in leading the teams scoring efforts was fellow classmate Daphne Elliott who finished with 23 points on 4-of-8 shooting with a three pointer and 3-of-4 at the free throw line.

The Hawks never managed a lead in the game and only managed to tie the score once in the final minutes of the game. For the game, Hartford shot 31.5 percent (17-of-54), while the Great Danes (9-6 overall, 2-0 America East) finished the game shooting 34.6 percent (18-of-52) overall. Neither team shot particularly well from the free throw line with the Hawks hitting 5-of-9 (4 percent) and Albany hitting five out of 10 total attempts (50 percent). The Great Dane hit 36 percent of their three point attempts, making 5-of-14. Hartford also made five three pointers, but shot just 25 percent from beyond with arc in 25 total attempts.

The Great Danes came out of the gate running and never looked back. They opened up an early 9-2 lead on a three pointer from Cassandra Callaway, who would provide three total long range buckets. The Hawks would cut that lead to a bucket twice over the next four minutes, but couldn't manage to tie the score.

Albany used a 10-0 run to open up their lead to double digits for the first time in the game, 21-9, with 9:19 to play before the break. Neither team would score for the next three minutes before senior Amanda Weaver stopped the run with a free throw and Elliott managed a layup 40 seconds later to put the Great Danes lead at nine, 23-12

The Great Danes would re-extend their lead back to double figures and to the largest margin of the game with 2:14 to play before the break with a Felicia Johnson layup put the Hawks deficit at 13, 17-30. Nikkia Smith would make one of just two buckets in the game with just over two minutes to play, with that bucket proving to be the last of the half for either team as Albany took a 30-19 lead into the locker room. Johnson led all players in the first half with 11 total points as she shot 5-of-12.

Ebone Henry came out of the halftime break to hit a layup 37 seconds into the period before the Hawks could manage six of the next seven points to start chipping away at the Great Danes lead. The hawks pulled with eight points with 14:53 to play on a layup from Elliott. Johnson answered with a three pointer 28 seconds later to put the Great Danes lead back at 11, 36-25.

Hartford held Albany to just one bucket over the next six minutes as they pulled within four points. Three pointers from Mary Silvia and Elliott came during the Hawks run, with the later providing the four point margin, 35-39. After allowing a layup from Julie Forster with 6:21 remaining, the Hawks held Albany without a point for the next five minutes as they managed to tie the score for the first and only time in the game.

Following the deadlock at 40, thank in part to Silvia's second three of the half, Albany answered with a three of their own, coming from Callaway with 1:06 remaining in the game. The Hawks would turn the ball over on the ensuing possession which the Great Danes took advantage of, forcing their lead back to five points on a Johnson jump shot with :26 seconds remaining.

After a missed three point attempt, sophomore Alex Hall grabbed the board and drove in to the paint where her shot was off the mark but Doherty was on the spot to get the board and connect to pull within three. The Hawks then fouled Ebone Henry who missed the first of her one-and-one attempt. The Hawks were then unable to get a good look at the basket in the final seven seconds as the Great Danes defensive proved too tough.

The win snapped a 13-game win streak for the Hawks against Albany, while it also snapped a 21-game regular season conference win streak that dated back to February 24, 2009. The win was also the first for the Great Danes over Hartford at the Chase Family Arena since the 2004 America East Championship when Albany scored a 52-50 victory in the quarterfinals.

The Hawks will return to action on Wednesday night when they travel to New Hampshire for a date with the Wildcats. Hartford and New Hampshire will tip off at 7:00 p.m. at Lundholm Gymnasium.

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