BOX SCORE

ALBANY, N.Y. - When they needed them most, the three-pointers began to fall for the Hartford men's basketball team on Saturday night at Albany. Unfortunately for the Hawks, they came up just short in their comeback attempt against the Great Danes, falling 62-59 at SEFCU Arena. Milton Burton led the team with 16 points, with Joe Zeglinski adding 15.

Hartford hit 10 of its 13 three-pointers in the second half, including four by Zeglinski and three each from Burton and Genesis Maciel. The Hawks were 10-for-22 from downtown after halftime, 45.5 percent.

Zeglinski, who added five rebounds, three assists, a block and a steal, was named the America East Player of the Game. Tim Ambrose garnered the recognition for Albany, scoring a game-high 20 points and adding seven rebounds.

The Hawks got off to a slow start on the offensive end, scoring just seven points in the first 9:19 of the contest. Fortunately, the team played stingy defense, and Anthony Minor's lay-up with 10:41 to play in the first half tied the score at nine apiece.

Albany went on a 14-5 run from there, leading 25-14 with 2:40 remaining in the period. At that point, things began to click for the Hawks. Ryan Baker nailed a three from the corner, and Ross Erickson knocked down a short jumper to cut the lead to six. Erickson's tip-in at the buzzer left the Hawks down seven after an Ambrose three had extended Albany's lead back to nine with 32 seconds remaining.

Erickson, who set a career high with nine points on Thursday night against Vermont, added eight on Saturday, all of which came in the first half.

Despite holding a 25-13 rebounding advantage in the first half, the Great Danes managed just four second-chance points, the same number as the Hawks. Hartford's defense held Albany without a field goal for a six-and-a-half minute stretch midway through the half, forcing eight turnovers by the Danes.

Albany would end the game with a 39-27 rebounding advantage, and cut their turnovers down in the second half, committing just four. Hartford gave the ball away only seven times all game.

The second half saw Albany lead by as many as 10 early on, but the three-point shooting by the Hawks kept them in it. Milton Burton hit two long bombs as part of an 8-2 run that cut the lead from 10 to four with 13:10 to play.

Whenever Hartford inched closer, though, it seemed as if the Danes - often Ambrose - had a response. The Hawks could not make it a one-possession game until a Joe Zeglinski three made it 57-55 with 46 seconds to play.

After that trey, Albany hit one of two free throws to push their lead back to three points. Despite having hit 10 threes compared to just two two-pointers in the second half, the Hawks worked their way to the hoop as Minor rolled in a fast-break lay-up to make it 58-57.

Two more Albany free throws once again left the margin at three, and once again Hartford went for two when Milton Burton drove to the hoop with eight seconds to play.

Although the Hawks went for a quick foul after the bucket, they could not get to an Albany player until Zeglinski fouled Jacob Iati with 2.6 seconds on the clock. Iati hit both free throws. On the ensuing inbounds, Maciel found Minor near the top of the key, who quickly dished it off to Burton. The senior from Birmingham had a good - but long - look, only to have it hit off the iron as the clock expired.

For Zeglinski, the game was his 100th career double-digit output, making him the first Hartford player to achieve that milestone. The milestone came on his fourth try, as the senior has never gone four consecutive games without hitting double figures in his career. It is not the first time Zeglinski had a memorable moment at SEFCU Arena; last season, he broke Aaron Cook's school record of 276 career three-pointers there as the Hawks defeated the Great Danes.

The Hawks will try to snap their four-game losing streak on Thursday evening when they host Maine at 7:00 p.m. Hartford defeated the Black Bears, 61-59, earlier this season in Orono. Tickets for Thursday's game are still available, and can be purchased by calling 860-768-HAWK or by visiting the Malcolm and Brenda Berman Athletics Box Office at the Reich Family Pavilion.