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WEST HARTFORD, Conn. - The second half of the America East schedule did not get started the way the Hartford men's basketball team would have wanted it, as the Hawks struggled offensively for a second-straight game in a 61-47 loss at Vermont. The defeat is the third in the row for Hartford, which has lost two of those three games to the Catamounts.

Genesis Maciel and Ross Erickson led the way for Hartford with nine points each. Ryan Baker was named the Hawks' America East Player of the Game, scoring seven points to go along with seven rebounds, a career high.

The Hawks were without leading scorer and rebounder Morgan Sabia, who sat out the game with a knee injury suffered in the team's 69-35 loss at Stony Brook. Despite that, Hartford hung with the second-place Catamounts, who came into West Hartford riding a five-game winning streak. Although they never led, the Hawks were down just five at the break, 34-29 after Milton Burton's short jumper in the lane with 35 seconds to go.

Vermont opened the second half on an 11-2 run that would end up putting the game away. Punctuated by five points from Sandro Carissimo, who led Vermont with 14 points, the Catamounts' run gave them a 45-31 advantage, and the lead never shrunk to single digits the rest of the contest.

With Sabia out and Genesis Maciel making his third start of the season, the Hawks got significant production from role players who saw their minutes increase on Thursday night. Ross Erickson, whose previous career high was five points set earlier this season against Brown, dropped a career-best nine points off the bench, adding two rebounds in a season-best 16 minutes. Meanwhile, freshman Oren Faulk contributed three points, four boards and two blocks in 11 minutes, all career highs.

Perhaps most impressively, the Hawks held their own in the paint against a team which outrebounded them by 18 just nine days previous. Hartford was outdone on the boards again on Thursday, but only by a 40-35 margin despite the absence of Sabia. Hartford outscored Vermont 28-20 in the paint, and doubled its offensive rebound total from last week against the Catamounts, pulling down 14 compared to just seven in Burlington.

Baker's seven rebounds led the team, while senior Milton Burton added six boards to go along with his six points and three steals. Maciel also pulled down four caroms, while senior Joe Zeglinski added four rebounds and five points.

Hartford will return to action on Saturday evening at Albany, part of a doubleheader with the women's teams at SEFCU Arena. A fan bus will be traveling from the Chase Family Arena at the Reich Family Pavilion. Spots are still available, and can be purchased by calling Chris Sanford at 860-768-4653 or by emailing csanford@hartford.edu. Fans who cannot make the trip can listen to all the action on the flagship station of Hartford men's basketball, WDRC-1360 AM.