DURHAM, N.H. – Sophomore Mark Nwakamma tallied game-highs in both points and rebounds on Thursday night to lead the University of Hartford men's basketball team to a 51-40 triumph on the road at the University New Hampshire, snapping a three-game skid for the Hawks. Hartford improves to 11-9 overall and 4-3 in the America East while New Hampshire, which remains winless in league play at 0-6, dips to 4-14 on the season.

Nwakamma, who led all scorers with 23 points, took over the game in the second half, netting half of his team's 32 points during that stanza to help the Hawks bounce back from an early deficit out of the intermission. Named the America East Player of the Game, he pulled down eight rebounds and added two assists, one block and a steal to his credit.

Freshman Evan Cooper contributed 10 points and three assists for Hartford while sophomore Nate Sikma converted on two three-pointers for six points. John Peterson came off the bench to add four rebounds in 18 minutes.

The first half went back and forth, with Hartford scoring the first basket of the game on a Sikma three in the opening possession. The Hawks maintained that advantage for a good chunk of the half and went on to grab their largest lead of the stanza after Jamie Schneck found Cooper on a back door cut with 8:27 remaining to make the score 13-8.

Following the Cooper layup, UNH rattled off a 7-1 spurt with a basket by Chris Matagrano pushing the Wildcats ahead for the first time in the contest at 15-14. The home team's lead was short-lived, though, as Yolonzo Moore II drained Hartford's second three pointer of the evening to bump the score up to 19-17.

That three came with 4:40 left before halftime but before the break, the Hawks would make just one more field goal, a jumper by Nwakamma that came just under the four minute mark. During that stretch, UNH capitalized at the free throw line, going 4-of-4 to send the game into the break all tied up at 19-19.

The lead changed hands again after intermission with UNH scoring out of the gates on a pair of free throws, sparking a 6-2 run that put the home team ahead by four points. Hartford refused to let the Wildcats take control, however, as Nwakamma, who led the Hawks at the half with seven points and scored the Hawks' first bucket of the second, went on a tear and netted 10 of his team's next 12 points to quickly swing the score back in favor of visitors.

Nwakamma drained Hartford's first six field goals, helping his team put together a 15-2 rally that was capped by a trey in transition by Wes Cole. That three-pointer opened up a nine-point lead for the Hawks with 10:01 left to play. Ferg Myrick temporarily stopped the bleeding for the Wildcats as his layup at the 9:40 mark ended what was an 11-0 Hartford run, but the Hawks scored the next four points to take a 40-29 advantage with 8:08 remaining.

UNH trimmed an 11-point deficit down to seven with less than four minutes to go, but Nwakamma again made it a nine-point affair at 46-37 with his 11th and final field goal of the game. Sikma went on to seal the game after knocking down a three-ball with 91 seconds left to give the Hawks a comfortable 11-point cushion heading down the stretch.

The Hawks held the Wildcats to a season-low 40 points and did not concede a three-pointer, ending a 627 game streak that UNH recorded at least one made bucket from downtown. After shooting 52.2% (12-of-23) in the second half, Hartford finished at a 41.7% (20-of-48) clip.

Chandler Rhoads paced UNH with 13 points while Matagrano and Myrick each added 10.

Hartford is idle this weekend but returns to the hardwood on Wed., Jan. 30 when it welcomes the Vermont Catamounts to the Chase Family Arena for the first of two-straight home games for the Hawks. The rematch of last year's America East Tournament semifinal game is scheduled for a 7:00 p.m. start.