Hawks Grit Out 61-56 Victory at Albany on Saturday Afternoon

BOX SCORE

Albany, N.Y. – A pair of turnaround jumpers from sophomore Nikkia Smith in the final minute of the game helped the Hawks score their third straight victory 61-56 over Albany at SEFCU Arena on Saturday afternoon. Smith led the Hawks in the game, finishing with 13 points as she was named the America East Player of the Game for Hartford (9-14, 6-4 AE).

Smith led the Hawks shooting efforts with a 6-of-7 effort, scoring nine of her 13 points in the second half. She also led the team in rebounding with eight boards. Overall, the Hawks finished the game shooting 46.2 percent from the field, 24-of-52. Hartford's three point shooting didn't pick up until the second half after the Hawks missed all three of their long range attempts in the first 20 minutes. The Hawks ended the game shooting 36.4 percent (4-of-11) from three point territory, going 4-of-8 in the second half.

Joining Smith in leading the Hawks balanced scoring attack was fellow classmates Ruthanne Doherty and Alex Hall who each added 10 points. Senior Amanda Weaver finished right behind them with nine points, all of which came on three pointers as she finished perfect from outside the arc, 3-of-3.

The Hawks opened the game rather sluggish, allowing Albany to open up an early 9-0 lead, that they extended to their largest of 10, 12-2 with 14:00 minutes remaining in the first half. The Hawks went without a bucket for the first 3:30 of the game, before Smith put the first notch on the board for Hartford with a layup.

Following the Great Danes 10 point lead, the Hawks rattled off 10-straight to tie the score for the first time in the game. The run saw four points from both Hall and Doherty as the first knot in the score came with 10:11 remaining before the break.

After trading leads for the next three minutes, Hartford used its second run, eight straight, to take a 24-17 lead, one they would never end up relinquishing through the remainder of the game. The Hawks seven point lead came with 2:19 remaining in the half and the final bucket, which came from Ilicia Mathis, amounted to be the final points of the half for H.artford. The Great Danes would score four in the final two minutes to go into the break down 24-21.

Coming out of the locker room, the Hawks scored the first four points, re-extending their lead to seven with almost three minutes played in the first half. Four straight for the home team put the Hawks lead at just two with 15:11 remaining in the half, but the Hawks then rattled off four of their own unanswered to re-take the six point advantage.

Weaver would then come off the bench for the Hawks and create a spark with a pair of three pointers over a three minutes span, the second of which was the first bucket in a 5-0 run that game the Hawks a 45-38 lead with 9:17 remaining.

Hartford would never relinquish a lead for the remainder of the game, despite allowing Cassandra Callaway to tie the score at 53, just the second, and final, tie of the game. Following that tie score, Weaver would hit her third three pointer of the game. The Hawks defense then created havoc, not allowing a clean look at the basket over the next 2:30, which allowed Hartford to take a 58-53 lead with 1:10 remaining with the first of Smith's late turnaround jumpers.

After the Great Danes Ebone Henry answered with a contested three pointer with just over one minute remaining, Smith answered with her second turnaround jumper. The ensuing possession for the Great Danes amounted in a traveling call and the Hawks would return the favor by extending the lead to five with a free throw from Mary Silvia.

The Hawks will play the second of two straight road games when they travel north to Orono, Maine for a date with the Black Bears on Thursday night. The Hawks and Black Bears will tip off at 7:00 p.m. from Alfond Arena.

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