Box Score WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – Despite holding the visiting Yale Bulldogs to 20 points below its season average Saturday, the University of Hartford men's basketball team could notmaintain a second-half lead as it lost its fourth-straight game by a 54-49 final. The Hawks drop to 2-6 overall while the Bulldogs go above the .500 mark for the first time this season at 4-3.

Junior forward Mark Nwakamma scored a team-high 15 points and led the Hawks' rebounding effort with ninewhile classmate Wes Cole sank four of his six shot attempts from downtown to finish with 12 points. For Yale, Justin Sears had game-best numbers in four categories, finishing with 16 points, 10 rebounds, four steals and four blocks.

Taking a three-point lead into the halftime break thanks to a late 7-0 spurt, the Hawks used another stretch of seven unanswered points to push ahead, 32-25, at the second stanza's 13:20 mark. Yolonzo Moore II, who finished with eight points, sparked that spurt with a layup and Cole, who had a triple early in the game, sank his second from three-point range to provide the Hawks with their largest lead of the contest at 32-25.

Yale answered back, though, and quickly got back in the game as Sears contributed six points of an 8-0 run to regain its lead at 33-32 with 11:04 left to play. That edge see-sawed back-and-forth two more times before the Bulldogs put together a brief 5-0 spurt to break open a 37-37 tie with 5:34 to go.

That five-point advantage proved to be short-lived for Yale as the Hawks clawed back to push ahead by one with over two minutes remaining on the clock. Adding four unanswered points to the scoreboard on a pair of Evan Cooper free throws and a layup by Nwakamma, Cole responded to a Javier Duren free throw by drilling another one from behind the arc to provide Hartford with the slight 46-45 edge.

Two possessions later, Nick Victor put Yale back in front with a layup with 96 seconds left to play before the Bulldogs extended that advantage to four at 50-46 with 39 seconds left on three-consecutive free throws from Armani Cotton. Eleven seconds later, Cole struck again, closing the gap to one point with his fourth and final three of the night from the corner.

Facing a three-point deficit with 20 seconds left thanks to two more Yale free throws, the Hawks had a chance to score a quick two points, but Moore's eight-footer was blocked. With five seconds to go, Hartford turned the ball over on the broken play, and Yale sealed the game from the charity stripe with a pair of makes from Jesse Pritchard.

Hartford was again plagued by turnovers, committing 19 on the night, including 13 in the first half. Both teams turned in cold numbers from the field as Yale improved upon a 25.9 percent first half effort to finish the game at 32.7 percent (17-52). That mark was slightly bettered by a 33.3 percent clip (14-for-42) for the Hawks.

The Hawks return to the road for their next game as they head to La Salle on Wednesday, December 5. Fans can catch the action from Tom Gola Arena by tuning in to Beethoven Radio (AM 1240) or by visiting www.wccc.com to listen online. Jeff Dooley and Randy LaVigne will have the call for the game which is set for a 7 p.m. tip-off.