University of Hartford

THE BASICS:

RESULT: Holy Cross 90, Hartford 68
LOCATION: Chase Arena at Reich Family Pavilion (West Hartford, Conn.)
ATTENDANCE:  1,072
RECORDS: Holy Cross (4-6), Hartford (3-8)

THE LEAD:
Pancake Thomas led four players in double figures with 16 points, but a strong offensive night led Holy Cross to a 90-68 win over the Hartford men's basketball team on Saturday. Justin Graham added 15 points, Jalen Ross posted 13 and J.R. Lynch netted 10 in the loss for the Hawks.

Robert Champion led five players in double digits for the Crusaders, who shot 66% percent from the field in the victory. Hartford was shorthanded due to injuries to regulars George Blagojevic and Taylor Dyson, both of which are day-to-day.

FIRST HALF:
The two teams traded baskets on the first two possessions of the half, with Pancake Thomas knocking down a three to put the Hawks ahead 3-2. Holy Cross then countered with an 8-0 run to push the lead to 10-3, but Justin Graham netted five straight points for the home squad, trimming the advantage to 12-8.
The Crusaders embarked on another run, this one a 17-2 rally, to push the lead to 29-10. Hartford got a pair of three-balls, one from Jack Hobbs and the other from Evan Cooper, but Holy Cross had an answer for every Hawks rally. Hartford got a triple from the left wing from Graham to enter the locker room down 45-26.

SECOND HALF:
Hartford came strong out of the break, using a pair of steals to run off five straight points. Graham delivered a layup and J.R. Lynch added a three-ball as the home squad cut the lead to 14, 45-31.
But Holy Cross caught fire on the offensive end and locked down defensively to pull away in the game. Jalen Ross nailed a pair of three-pointers midway through the second half in quick succession, then added a third with 8:31 on the clock. The Hawks defense stepped it up, forcing the Crusaders into miscues, and a Thomas four-point play cut the lead to 75-56 with 5:39 to play. A steal and layup for Jason Dunne got the lead down to 17, but that was as close as the Hawks would get.


INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
 
• Pancake Thomas stuffed the stat sheet for the Hawks, scoring a team-high 16 points to go along with four rebounds, two assists, and three steals. Tonight marked Thomas' highest steals output of the season.
 
• The Hawks led the way tonight on fast break points, outpacing the Crusaders with an 8-2 mark. The team outhustled Quinnipiac in transition earlier this week when they held a 14-5 advantage.
 
• It was a quiet game for both teams in shot blocking, with the lone swat coming from Jack Hobbs in the first half. Hobbs has three blocks on the season.
 
• Thomas' four-point play in the second half was his third in the last three games. He had two at Dartmouth, and has converted all of his opportunities.

• Justin Graham dished out a career-high eight assists which leads the Hawks so far this season. Graham also holds five-assist games against Niagara and Providence.

UP NEXT:
Hartford will return to Chase Arena at Reich Family Pavilion on Monday night against Sacred Heart as the second game of a doubleheader with the women's team. Tipoff is slated for 8:30 p.m.