THE BASICS:

RESULT: Rutgers 77, Hartford 75
LOCATION: Rutgers Athletic Complex
ATTENDANCE: 4,028
RECORDS: Hartford (1-5); Rutgers (6-0)

THE LEAD:
C.J. Gettys' putback with six seconds remaining capped off a wild comeback for Rutgers, as it edged the Hartford men's basketball team 77-75 on Friday afternoon. Jalen Ross led the way for the Hawks with 19 points in a losing effort.
 
Jason Dunne added 18 points on 7-for-10 shooting, going 4-for-7 from downtown. J.R. Lynch contributed 11 as well, knocking down both of his triples, as Hartford went 12-for-26 from beyond the arc.
 
Deshawn Freeman led all players with 26 points and 10 boards for the Scarlet Knights, as Rutgers placed four players in double figures. Corey Sanders contributed 10 assists and six steals in the win for the home squad.

FIRST HALF:
The Hawks started ice cold from the field, coming up empty on their first seven shots and allowing the Scarlet Knights to get out to a 7-0 lead. A Ross three-ball snapped the skid, but the home squad was able to push the lead to 16-8 at the 9:56 mark.
 
At that juncture, the visitors went on a 10-1 run, with triples from Ross and Jack Hobbs being accompanied by layups from Dunne and George Blagojevic to make it 18-17. From there into the locker room, the teams traded points back-and-forth, and after a Blagojevic two, the Hawks entered the locker room knotted up at 27.

SECOND HALF:
Out of the locker room, Rutgers found life from the outside, with Issa Thiam hitting three triples early on to give the Scarlet Knights a 41-37 lead. But the Hawks got a bucket by John Carroll to snap the momentum, sending the visitors on a 19-6 run to garner a 56-47 lead. Key in the rally were three triples by Dunne – two of which were immediately followed by Rutgers timeouts.
 
But the Scarlet Knights refused to go quietly, getting the lead right back down to six. Nonetheless, the Hawks continued their strong defensive effort, limiting the Scarlet Knights to outside shots and maintained a 61-52 lead with 7:14 remaining. After Rutgers cut it to seven, Lynch came through with a clutch bucket from the right wing to push the lead to double digits, 64-54, with 6:44 remaining. Hartford was able to stem the tide of another Rutgers push, and a triple for Hobbs at the 5:02 mark pushed the lead to a game-high 13.
 
But the Scarlet Knights then began to chip away, delivering a 7-0 run, capped off by a three-point play, to cut the deficit to 70-64. The teams traded points to a 73-68 score, but Rutgers followed with a Mike Williams three and a Nigel Johnson layup to tie things up at 73. Each team came up empty on its ensuing possession.
 
The home squad then got a crucial block by Johnson, and he followed that up by converting a layup to put Rutgers ahead 75-73. George Blagojevic delivered an answer with a clutch shot off the glass, but Gettys' putback on Rutgers' final possession sealed Hartford's fate.
  
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

• The 12 makes from beyond the arc marked Hartford's first game this year with double-digit three-balls. The Hawks have shot .450 or better from downtown in each of the last two contests.
• Ross has now scored in double figures in 20-straight games, dating back to the middle of conference play last year.
• Hartford had a solid day at the line, going 11-for-15, but Rutgers had double the attempts, converting 17-of-30.
• The Hawks delivered a season-high 16 assists, but also matched their season high with 17 turnovers.
• After entering the year with a career-high 10 points, Dunne now has three games this season with at least 18.

 
UP NEXT:
The Hawks continue their road trip with a contest at North Texas on Sunday at 1 p.m. Live video and stats links are available at HartfordHawks.com.