LAS VEGAS, Nev. – The Hartford men's basketball team was unable to complete the comeback on Monday afternoon, as it dropped a 72-65 decision against Utah Valley at Cox Pavilion. J.R. Lynch scored a career-high 25 points to pace the Hawks, who conclude play in the MGM Resorts Main Event Tournament on Wednesday.
 
The Hawks dip to 1-4 on the season while Utah Valley, which was led by a 23-point effort by Conner Toolson, improves to 2-3.
 
UTAH VALLEY 72, HARTFORD 65
An early 10-0 run provided the Wolverines with a 12-2 advantage that grew to as many as 13 (23-10) on a Toolson triple with 6:50 to go. But Lynch would get the Hawks back in the game, knocking down back-to-back three-pointers 36 seconds apart to ignite a 12-3 run that closed the gap down to four with 2:30 remaining in the half. Lynch's hot hand from long range continued, as he added one more three before the end of the half, but Utah Valley outscored Hartford, 9-5, in that final stretch to take a 35-27 advantage in the halftime break.  
 
Utah Valley got off to another hot start in the second, going 4-of-5 from the field to open up a 45-26 lead with 16:58 to play. The Hawks stormed back, though, delivering a 15-2 run featuring 12 unanswered points — including another triple from Lynch — to close the gap down to five at 47-42 with 11:50 remaining. Despite the Wolverines pushing their lead back into double figures, Hartford made it a four-point game  — the closest since the opening minutes — with 5:28 remaining on Lynch's fifth and final three of the game, but Utah Valley held off the late charge to come away with the win.
 
NEWS & NOTES

• Redshirt-senior John Carroll, who saw a 16-game double-figure scoring streak come to an end, came just shy of his first double-double of the year, tallying nine points and nine rebounds. 
• Blagojevic finished with 14 points for his fourth game in double figures this season. He added seven rebounds.
• Lynch, who began the game 3-of-4 from behind the arc, also matched a career high with five long-range makes.
• Utah Valley outscored Hartford in the paint, 34-26.
• The Hawks forced 20 Utah Valley turnovers, scoring 26 points off of those miscues.
• Hartford went 12-of-15 from the line for 80 percent, but Utah Valley had the better shooting night from the field, going 57 percent (28-of-49) to the Hawks' 35 percent (22-of-62).

 
NEXT ON TAP
The Hawks will take on either Iona or Long Beach in the Consolation Game of the MGM Resorts Main Event Tournament on Wednesday. Tipoff from Cox Pavilion is set for 2 p.m. (EST).