NIAGARA, N.Y.  – The University of Hartford men's basketball team took Niagara down to the wire and pulled out a 65-62 victory at the Gallagher Center in upstate New York Saturday night. Scoring its third-straight victory, the Hawks are off to their best start since the 1996-97 campaign with a 3-1 record. Niagara dips to 1-2 on the season.

Hartford was led by freshman forward John Carroll, who shot 5-of-7 from the floor to finish with a career-high 16 points. Joining Carroll in double figures were seniors Yolonzo Moore II and Mark Nwakamma, who added 10 and 11 points, respectively. The Hawks put up season-best shooting performances, going 48.9-percent from the field (22-of-45) and 56.3-percent (9-of-16) from behind the arc.

Hartford led by six with 5:31 left in the first, but Niagara ripped off a 7-0 half-ending run to take a 30-25 advantage into the locker rooms. The Hawks bounced back in the second half, using a 16-2 run, a stretch that featured four makes from downtown, to turn a 37-33 deficit into a 10-point lead at 49-39 with 10:44 remaining.

But the Purple Eagles wouldn't go down without putting up a fight. Making it a two-point game at 58-56 on a Karonn Davis three followed by a free throw from Rayvon Harris, Niagara kept it a one possession game throughout the remaining three minutes.

Down the stretch, with the Hawks leading the Purple Eagles by five at 61-56, Wesley Myers sank a three-pointer to close the gap to two with just 48 seconds left on the clock. Moore came up clutch for the Hawks, as he tipped-in his own miss with 23.8 seconds to go to put Hartford ahead, 63-59. In the last 17 seconds of the game, the senior guard converted on 2-of-4 free throws to hold off the home team and pull away with the victory.

Niagara also had three players finish in double figures with Davis leading the way with 17 points on a 50.0-percent effort from the field (6-of-12).

Hartford returns to action on Tuesday night with a road trip to Quinnipiac. The Hawks and Bobcats are slated for a 7 p.m. tip from TD Bank Sports Center.

THE TURNING POINT:
With 3:15 left to play, Niagara, which trailed by 10 (49-39) midway through the second half, pulled with two of Hartford using a Karonn Davis three and a Rayon Harris free throw to make it a 58-56 contest. Mark Nwakamma extended the advantage back to four (60-56), converting on a layup at the 2:41 mark before extending the lead to five by making 1-of-2 from the charity stripe with just over a minute to go. Down the stretch, Wesley Myers drilled a three-pointer with 48.0 seconds left on the clock to close the gap to two again, but senior Yolonzo Moore II tipped-in a rebound off his own miss to put the Hawks in front, 63-59, with 23.8 seconds to go.

The two teams exchanged one point apiece from the free throw line to keep it a four-point Hartford advantage at 64-60 with 18 seconds remaining. Missing three-straight shots – a Ramone Snowden three, a Wesley Myers layup and a Rayon Harris tip-in – Harris again made it a single possession contest with 3.6 seconds left after getting fouled on an offensive rebound off his own miss and sinking the ensuing two free throws. The Hawks pulled off the win, though, as Moore, who drew a foul in the back court with 2.6 seconds remaining, made 1-of-2 from the line to make it a three-point Hartford lead. As time expired, a desperation heave by Niagara came nowhere near the rim as the Hawks held on for the win.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS: 

·         Freshman John Carroll went 5-of-7 from the floor to compile 16 points, a team-best that is also a career-high

·         Carroll, Corban Wroe and Yolonzo Moore II each grabbed six rebounds as the Hawks were edged in the battle of the boards, 33-32

·         The six boards for Carroll is also a career-best for the rookie

·         Hartford shot well from the field as well as from downtown, going  48.9 percent overall from the floor (22-of-45) while making 56.3 percent of its three-point attempts (9-of-16)

·         Niagara shot 42.0-percent (21-of-50) on the night, but went just 33.3-percent (6-of-18) from long range

·         Hartford turned around a sloppy first half that featured 14 turnovers, committing just five in the final 20 minutes

·         The Hawks' bench outscored Niagara's, 27-3 

NEWS AND NOTES: 

·         With their third-straight victory, the Hawks are off to their best start since 1996-97 with a 3-1 mark

·         Hartford's win over Niagara ended a three-game skid to Niagara and was its first over the Purple Eagles since a 72-57 decision in Niagara back in 1989

·         Grabbing six rebounds, senior Yolonzo Moore II has led the Hawks in the category twice this season

·         John Carroll netted 16 points, a career-high, on a 5-of-7 effort from the floor; he contributed six rebounds, also a career-best number 

UP NEXT:
The Hawks wrap up their brief two-game road stand with a short trip to Hamden, Conn., to face the Quinnipiac Bobcats. Tipoff from TD Bank Sports Center is scheduled for 7 p.m.