Men's Basketball Fights but Falls at Penn State, 70-55

BOX SCORE

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – In its second game in as many days, the University of Hartford men's basketball team fought hard but dropped a 70-55 decision to the Penn State University Nittany Lions on Saturday afternoon at the Bryce Jordan Center in front of a crowd of 4,152. The Hawks drop to 0-2 on the season while the Nittany Lions move to 1-0 on the young season.

Freshman guard Wes Cole finished with a team-best 12 points on a 4-of-11 performance from behind the arc while Clayton Brothers, a senior guard, led the Hawks in rebounds (7) and assists (4). Following Cole in the scoring column was senior Genesis Maciel along with rookie Mark Nwakamma who each added eight points.

Despite 15 first-half turnovers which translated into 12 Penn State points, the Hawks trailed the Nittany Lions by 10 at 32-22 after the opening half. Hartford, which shot 43.2-percent on the game (19-of-44), closed out the first half shooting 47.1-percent, a game-best, including 33.3-percent from long range. In addition, Hartord held the Nittany Lions to just 28.1-percent shooting in the first half and 35.9-percent combined however the team connected on 10-of-23 three-pointers (43.5-percent).

Hartford jumped out to a 3-0 lead when Maciel hit nothing but net from three-point land one minute in but Tim Frazier, who finished with 16 points, was quick to add his first two to the scoreboard just 30 seconds later. The Hawks responded as Andres Torres drilled a three and Yolonzo Moore II hit a pair of free throws to give the visitors its largest advantage at 7-2.

The Hawks' lead proved to be short-lived as the Nittany Lions strung together nine unanswered points to go ahead at 11-7 with 14:37 to play in the first. Hartford kept within striking distance as it pulled within one on two occasions however back-to-back three-pointers by Cammeron Woodyard at 5:37 and 5:13 opened up the doors for the Nittany Lions who went on to build a 12-point advantage at the end of that run. A layup by rookie Jamie Schneck with just nine seconds remaining in the first sent the Hawks into the halftime break facing a 10-point deficit.

In the second half, the Nittany Lions continued to build on their lead, preventing the Hawks from reaching single digits. After going down by as many as 16 points, Hartford managed to come back within 10 for the last time mid-way through the final stanza. The Nittany Lions' offense ignited for a 10-1 run with five minutes remaining and went on to open its lead to 26, its largest of the game, thanks to an 8-0 run that started just under the five minute mark on a lay-up by Trey Lewis.

The Hawks put together a 9-0 run over the final 135 seconds to close out the game and come within 15 points of the Nittany Lions. During that span, which was sparked by Cole's three-pointer with 2:05 remaining, Corban Wroe and Moore each added four points.

The Hawks fell behind Penn State, 40-34, in the battle of the boards. Additionally, the Nittany Lions picked up 17 rebounds on the offensive end which translated into 20 second-chance points in favor of the host team. Hartford also struggled to control the ball as it threw accumulated 26 turnovers.

The Hawks make their debut at the Chase Family Arena at the Reich Family Pavilion on Wednesday, November 16 when they take on Mount St. Mary's, their second Northeast Conference opponent of the season. The Hawks and The Mount will tip-off at 7:00 p.m. Tickets for Wednesday's non-conference contest are still available and can be purchased by calling 860-768-HAWK or by visiting the Malcolm and Brenda Berman Athletics Ticket Office. Tickets can also be purchased online at www.hartfordhawkstickets.com.

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