THE BASICS:
 
RESULT: Hartford 65, Stony Brook 52
RECORDS: Hartford (13-5, 4-1 AE), Stony Brook (9-9, 2-3 AE)
LOCATION: Chase Arena at Reich Family Pavilion (West Hartford, Conn.)

THE LEAD:
 
A second-half scoring surge from junior forward Darby Lee led the University of Hartford women's basketball team to a 65-52 defeat of Stony Brook at Reich Family Pavilion on Thursday evening. Lee scored 20 of her team-best 22 points after halftime, as the Hawks put the Seawolves away for their sixth win in seven games.

Sophomore Lindsey Abed added 11 points behind a 4-of-5 effort from the field, knocking down each of her two three-pointers during a pivotal, 13-0 run in the third quarter. That rally, which was capped by an Abed putback at the quarter's 2:21 mark, erased a 35-29 deficit and gave the Hawks a lead they would not relinquish for the remainder of the night. Davion Wingate had 23 points to lead Stony Brook, which rode two-straight league wins into the contest.



FIRST HALF:
A turnover-riddled, streaky first quarter resulted in Hartford taking a 12-9 lead at the end of the stanza. The Hawks spotted Stony Brook the first two of the game, but rallied behind a solid defensive effort to score 11-straight points. Junior Janelle Harrison contributed two layups during that three-minute stretch, which was capped by a Kelly Douglass three-pointer at the 4:24 mark. The Seawolves cut that lead down to a single possession before the end of the quarter, though, scoring seven-unanswered points before conceding just one to Hartford on a 1-for-2 effort from the line in the final seconds. 
 
Behind an old-fashioned three-point play by senior Deanna Mayza to start the quarter, Hartford went on to extend its advantage to five (17-12) with 7:06 to go. The lead wouldn't last long, though, as Wingate and Aaliyah Worley each contributed a three-pointer to a 10-2 run that put the Seawolves on top by a 22-19 margin. With Stony Brook up by three at the 1:22 mark, freshman Sierra DaCosta converted on an and-one to tie up the contest, but a fast break bucket from Elizabeth Manner sent Stony Brook into the locker rooms with a 26-24 edge.
 
SECOND HALF:
After Lee pulled the Hawks within a point (28-27) with 8:20 to go, Stony Brook went on another rally. Scoring seven of the game's next nine, the Seawolves took their largest lead of the night - a six-point edge at 35-29 - with 6:17 remaining in the third. But Hartford clamped down and ended the quarter with a rally of its own. Keeping Stony Brook off the scoreboard for four minutes, the Hawks netted 13-unanswered points to erase their deficit and take a seven-point lead at 42-35.  Following another Wingate triple at the 2:01 mark, Lee scored five points on the same possession on a three-point play and two free-throws to put Hartford up by a 47-38 count at the end of the stanza. 

The Seawolves cut the deficit to four at 49-45 midway through the fourth. But Hartford responded with another three-point play from Lee followed by a fast break bucket by Mayza to push the lead back to nine. Following an exchange of scores, the Hawks sealed the win with a game-ending, 9-2 run.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

• Mayza picked up her second foul less than two minutes into the contest, forcing the Hawks to play without their leading scorer for most of the first quarter. She finished with eight points, adding a game-best four assists.
• Scoring was limited in the first quarter, as both teams combined for 12 turnovers, with Hartford committing seven of those miscues.
• The Hawks limited their turnovers for the remainder of the game, though, committing just seven over the final 30 minutes. During that stretch, Stony Brook turned the ball over 13 times to finiwh with 19 miscues on the night.
• Lee shot 60 percent on the night (9-of-15), including 66 percent (8-of-12) in the second half, to lead the Hawks to 44.6 percent shooting from the field (25-of-56).
• Hartford had a solid effort from the free-throw line, shooting 84.6 percent (11-of-13). Lee was perfect in each of her four attempts.
• Stony Brook snapped DaCosta's double-figure scoring streak on Thursday, as she was held to six points. Prior to the contest, the reigning Rookie of the Week recorded 10-plus points in 13-straight games, marking the longest rally since Danielle Hood's 14-game streak in 2007-08. 

NEWS & NOTES:

• Snapping a three-game skid against the Seawolves, Hartford improves to 26-10 in the Division I series against Stony Brook.
• Improving to 13-5 overall, Hartford is off to its best 18-game start since 2009-10, when the squad posted a 15-3 record.
• The Hawks are undefeated in America East home games, previously knocking off Vermont and UMass Lowell. 

UP NEXT:
The Hawks trek back North, this time heading to Durham, N.H., to take on the New Hampshire Wildcats on Sunday, Jan. 22. The Hawks and Wildcats are slated for a 1 p.m. tip from Lundholm Gymnasium.