Box Score THE BASICS:

RESULT: Hartford 87, Sacred Heart 79 (OT)
LOCATION: Pitt Center (Fairfield, Conn.)
ATTENDANCE: 303
RECORDS: Hartford (2-7); Sacred Heart (3-5)


THE LEAD:
The Hartford basketball team overcame a 15-point deficit (58-43, 7:51 left) to force overtime, then hit all four of its threes in the extra session to knock off Sacred Heart 87-79 on Saturday. Jack Hobbs had a career-high 18 to lead five Hawks in double figures.
 
Jalen Ross (15), J.R. Lynch (14), Jason Dunne (13) and John Carroll (11) all finished in double digits as well, while Hassan Attia delivered nine points, six rebounds and four blocks in just 22 minutes. Hobbs and Lynch each had a career-high eight boards as well, while Ross led the way with four assists and four steals. The Hawks shot 14-for-27 (.519) from downtown, connecting on 10 of their last 11 from long range.
 
Quincy McKnight led all players with 20 points, while Joseph Lopez (18), Sean Hoehn (13) and De'von Barnett (12) all finished in double digits for the Pioneers. Barnett finished with a double-double, snaring 10 rebounds as well.

FIRST HALF:
Hartford used a new-look starting lineup to vault out to an early 13-4 lead, with Andrew Ramirez, Max Twyman, Hobbs, Attia and Lynch suiting up to start the game. Hartford's defense was strong from the tip, and the offense responded in kind, with Lynch and Attia teaming up for eight of the Hawks' first 11 points. A turnaround jumper by Carroll pushed the lead to 13-4 at the 11:32 mark.
 
After the teams traded blows to a 16-8 score, the Pioneers embarked on a 13-3 run to garner their first lead of the contest, 21-19. But the Hawks got a quick answer from Hobbs on a corner three and then he followed with another triple from the left wing to push the lead back to four. Hartford was able to get the advantage to 28-21, but Sacred Heart rallied to enter the locker room down 30-25.

SECOND HALF:
Out of the break, the Hawks extended the lead to seven, but SHU rallied with a 9-2 run to knot the game up at 37-37. The teams then traded points to a 41-39 Hartford lead after a fast-break bucket from Jason Dunne.
 
Sacred Heart followed that by embarking on a 10-0 run, with a pair of Quincy McKnight layups and a Matej Buovac three the key plays. Jalen Ross snapped the run with a tough bucket, but the Pioneers continued to rally after his bucket, pushing the lead to 58-43 at the 7:49 mark.
 
The Hawks heated up at that point, using stifling defense and solid conversions on offense to go on an 11-0 run. Included in that rally were a Carroll three-point play, five points from Dunne and a putback dunk for Attia that cut the lead to four. After the teams traded baskets to a 62-56 Pioneers lead, the Hawks got threes from Lynch and Ross, then a dunk by Attia to regain the lead, 64-62.
 
The Pioneers refused to go quietly, answering every Hawks punch with one of their own, until Hartford got a triple from Dunne from the left corner to put Hartford ahead 70-67. But Sacred Heart was able to rally, and got the tying layup from McKnight through traffic to send it to the extra session.
 
OVERTIME:
Attia won the tip to start overtime, and quickly got a thunderous dunk to put the Hawks up 72-70. Lynch followed with a pair of threes, surrounded by a SHU layup, to push the lead to 78-72. The Pioneers got it back to a one-possession game, 78-75, but Hobbs delivered another clutch triple and Dunne followed with a three-ball of his own, as the Hawks ballooned the lead to nine with 1:48 left. The Hawks pushed the lead to as much as 10 before emerging with the 87-79 victory.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

• Hartford placed five players in double digits for the first time since the 2015-16 season opener, against CCSU.
• The Hawks' 14-for-27 (.519) from downtown was the best performance of the season. Hobbs (5-7), Lynch (4-6) and Dunne (3-5) all shot better than 50 percent.
• Attia (4-4) remained perfect on jump balls, winning both to open the game and to open overtime.
• Both of Hartford's victories (Niagara the other) have come in overtime.
• Twyman and Ramirez each made their first starts in a Hawks uniform.
• Ross extended his double-figure scoring streak to 23-straight games, dating back to January of last year.

 
UP NEXT:
Hartford continues its road swing next week with a trip to face another in-state foe in Quinnipiac. The Hawks and Bobcats square off on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. in Hamden. Live stats and video will be available on QuinnipiacBobcats.com.