THE BASICS:
 
RESULT: Hartford 62, Stony Brook 40
RECORDS: Hartford (16-10, 7-6 AE); SBU (10-16, 3-10 AE)
LOCATION: Island Federal Credit Union Arena (Stony Brook, N.Y.)

THE LEAD:
A solid defensive effort led the University of Hartford women's basketball team to a commanding, 62-40 win at Stony Brook inside of Island Federal Credit Union Arena on Wednesday afternoon. Junior Darby Lee paced four players in double figures with 15 points as the Hawks led wire-to-wire to complete the series sweep of the Seawolves with their second-straight victory.

Sophomore Lindsey Abed, junior Janelle Harrison and senior Deanna Mayza each contributed 10 points as Hartford went 27-of-55 from the field for a season-high 49.1 percent clip, including 5-of-9 from three-point territory (55.6%). SBU, which scored just 25 points after three quarters, was led Ayshia Baker's eight points.

FIRST HALF:
A solid defensive start allowed Hartford to take control of the game early. Holding the Seawolves to an 0-for-4 start from the field, the Hawks jumped out to a 6-0 lead behind three-straight layups in the first three minutes. SBU ended the run and got on the board with a pair of free throws, but Hartford continued to capitalize on the Seawolves' cold shooting as senior Alyssa Reaves knocked down a jumper and Mayza hit a three to make it an 11-2 lead with 5:42 left. Back-to-back layups from Kori Bayne-Walker ended SBU's dry spell from the field, but Hartford, which shot 3-of-4 from long range to open the game, closed out the quarter with a 10-2 run to go up by a count of 21-8.  
 
The offense continued to roll in the second quarter for the Hawks. Spotting SBU a pair of free throws to open the stanza, Hartford used an 8-3 spurt to extend its lead to 16 points (29-13) with 4:27 to go. Harrison contributed four points during that stretch, including a layup that gave the Hawks with their largest lead of the half. Both sides exchanged four baskets to end the half, with another Harrison bucket at the 1:17 mark providing the halftime score of 33-18.
 
SECOND HALF:
Another solid defensive quarter allowed Hartford to add to its lead in the third. The Hawks held the Seawolves to just seven points during that stretch, five of which came in response to Hartford's 4-0 run to start the period. That SBU spurt brought the gap down to 37-23 with 6:15 left, but a dominant run by the Hawks prevented the Seawolves from coming any closer. Hartford put together a 15-2 rally to end the stanza, as Lee scored nine-straight points for the Hawks before freshman Jess Camarda beat the buzzer with a three to stretch the advantage to 27 at 52-25.
 
Harrison and Camarda strung together back-to-back buckets to open the fourth, extending Hartford's lead to 31 – its largest of the game – at 56-25 with 9:09 left. SBU managed to trim its deficit in the final stretch, though, using a 9-2 run behind four points from Baker to pull within 26 (60-34) with 3:08 to go. The Seawolves went on to score six of the last eight points of the game to provide the final score of 62-40.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

• The Hawks built their 15-point halftime lead behind 51.7 percent shooting from the field (15-of-29), marking a season-best, first-half effort from the floor.
• Hartford put together its finest defensive performance of the season, conceding a season-low 40 points while holding the Seawolves to a 14-of-50 effort from the field (28.0%).
• Included in that performance was solid defense from three-point range. Hartford held SBU to 2-of-19 shooting from behind the arc (10.5 percent).
• The Seawolves' two long-range makes marked the fewest allowed by a Hartford opponent this season.
• Abed padded the stat sheet, adding team-best numbers in rebounds (5) and assists (5), while Reaves, who scored six points, led the way in steals with three.
• With a pair of blocks, Reaves pushed her career total to 82 to improve to No. 4 in program history in the category.
• The Hawks' 22-point margin of victory on Wednesday is Hartford's largest since 2013-14, when it toppled Binghamton by 24 points for a 66-42 win (Jan. 23).

NEWS & NOTES:

• The Hawks improve to 27-10 in the all-time series with Stony Brook, which began in 2002.
• Hartford recorded its second regular-season sweep with Wednesday's win, as the Hawks also swept UMass Lowell with two victories this season.

 
UP NEXT:
The Hawks return home, hosting New Hampshire for their Pink Zone game on Saturday, Feb. 18. Tipoff between the Hawks and first-place Wildcats is slated for 2 p.m. from Chase Arena at Reich Family Pavilion.