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WEST HARTFORD, Conn.  – Behind 18-point efforts from seniors Mark Nwakamma and Corban Wroe, the University of Hartford men's basketball team beat Binghamton, 69-59, in its America East home opener on Wednesday night at the Chase Family Arena. Nwakamma added a season-high 12 rebounds to compile his team's first double-double of the season and improve the Hawks' records to 8-7 overall and 1-1 in league games.

Led by 17 points from freshman Romello Walker, 15 of which were scored in the second half, Binghamton falls to 1-16 overall and 0-2 in the America East. A youthful team that was missing two starters, the Bearcats kept the game close by shooting 45.5-percent from the field (24-of-44), including a 63.6-percent effort (14-of-22) in the second half. Hartford finished the game at 46.0-percent from the floor (23-of-50) as Nwakamma went 75.0-percent from the floor and Wroe, who had a game-best 10 points at halftime, went 4-of-6 from long range and 7-of-10 overall on the night.

Hartford shook off a slow start that saw Binghamton take a 9-1 lead in the opening minutes, ending the first half with a 13-4 run to take a 28-24 advantage into the halftime break. Going 7-of-10 to start the half, with Walker contributing seven of the Bearcats' first 11 points of the stanza, Binghamton reclaimed the lead at 37-35 with 13:35 remaining. Just over one minute later, freshman Jack Hobbs gave Hartford a lead for good in his debut, drilling a three-pointer at the 11:56 mark to make it a 41-39 advantage for the home team.

That triple was part of back-to-back three-pointers that triggered a 19-6 run that put the Hawks up by 12 points (57-45) with 5:47 to go. The Bearcats would come no closer than nine points for the remainder of the contest.

Senior Yolonzo Moore II added 13 points and six rebounds for the Hawks, who snapped a brief two-game losing streak with the victory. Classmate Nate Sikma passed for five assists, a career-high.

Following a bye weekend, the Hawks continue America East play with a trip to Durham, N.H., on Wednesday where they will battle New Hampshire in a 7 p.m. contest inside Lundholm Gymnasium.

THE TURNING POINT:
Gaining its first lead of the game before the end of the first half thanks to a late run, Hartford saw a 28-24halftime lead disappear as Binghamton opened up the second stanza by shooting 7-of-10 to take a 37-35 lead with 13:14 left to play. But with 11:56 left to play, freshman Jack Hobbs gave Hartford the lead for good, drilling a three-pointer from the corner in his debut with the Hawks to give his team a 44-39 advantage. That three, which was followed by a Corban Wroe triple 53 seconds later, triggered a 19-6 run that gave Hartford a comfortable, 57-45 cushion heading into the final 5:47 of regulation.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS: 

·         Three Hawks finished in double figures against Binghamton led by 18 points from seniors Mark Nwakamma (6-of-8) and Corban Wroe (7-of-10)

·         Wroe's 18 points, seven made field goals, and four makes from downtown were all season-best numbers for the veteran guard

·         Classmate Yolonzo Moore II contributed 13 points in the win while Nate Sikma, also a senior, dished out a career-high five assists

·         Hartford and Binghamton finished even in rebounding with 27 apiece; fifteen of the Hawks' points came off second-chance opportunities compared to just six from the Bearcats

·         Despite the loss, Binghamton had a hot hand in the game, shooting 54.5-percent (24-of-44) on the night, including 63.6-percent (14-of-22) in the second half

·         The Bearcats went just 8-of-18 from the charity stripe, including 5-of-12 in the second half

·         The Hawks finished the night shooting 46.0-percent (23-of-50), going 34.6-percent from three-point land (9-of-26) 

NEWS AND NOTES: 

·         Senior forward Mark Nwakamma compiled the first double-double of the season for a Hartford player, scoring 18 points while adding a season-best 12 rebounds

·         The double-double is the ninth of Nwakamma's career

·         With the 18 points, Nwakamma has reached double figures in his last eight games and has passed Morgan Sabia for fifth place on Hartford's Division I scoring list with 1,414 career points

·         Nwakamma also moved into ninth place on Hartford's career rebounding list with 558 career boards

·         Wroe posted season-best numbers in scoring (18), field goals made (7), and three-pointers made (4)

·         Freshman Jack Hobbs made his debut in a Hartford uniform on Wednesday, with his first career points, a three-pointer, giving Hartford a lead it would not relinquish at 41-39 with left in the second

·         The Hawks have reeled-off eight-straight wins against the Bearcats

·         Hartford entered the game riding a two-game losing streak that featured losses to then-ranked No. 14 Notre Dame and Texas A&M