FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Two Hawks recorded 20-plus points on Tuesday, but it wasn't enough to take down a hot-shooting Sacred Heart squad, as Hartford men's basketball dropped a 98-89 decision at the Pitt Center in Fairfield. Redshirt-senior John Carroll matched a career-high 26 points for the Hawks, who mounted a late comeback but were unable to bounce back. Hartford dips to 2-6 on the season, while the Pioneers, who were led by 22 points from Sean Hoehn, improves to 3-4.  
 
SACRED HEART 98, HARTFORD 89
 
Both teams exchanged blows to open the game to the tune of a 21-18 Hawks' lead with 11 minutes to go, but a 17-2 run over the next five minutes allowed a hot-shooting Pioneers squad to pull away and take a 35-23 lead with 6:16 remaining in the stanza. A trio of threes to end the half — including two from senior Jason Dunne — got Hartford back in the game, though, as it took an eight-point deficit (49-41) into the break. Sacred Heart shot 61 percent in the stanza, with all but one of its field goals coming from inside the three-point circle.
 
Hartford managed to close the gap down to six at 63-57 on back-to-back buckets from Travis Weatherington and Carroll, but the Pioneers responded with a 13-2 rin to increase their lead to 76-59 with 6:17 to go. Trailing by 15 with 4:46 left to play, the Hawks rallied late, slashing their deficit to seven with eight-unanswered points with 88 seconds to go. A D.J. Mitchell three-pointer — the first of his career — made it a six-point game with 44 seconds remaining, but Hartford wouldn't come any closer, as Sacred Heart closed out the game with an 8-of-8 effort from the free-throw line.
 
INSIDE THE BOX & NOTES

• Dunne knocked down a season-best six three-pointers to finish with a season-high 25 points, while senior J.R. Lynch added 19 points for his fourth-straight game in double figures.
• Sacred Heart had a hot hand all night, going 58.6 percent from the field (34-of-58), including 69 percent (29-of-42) from inside the arc.
• Hartford was outrebounded, 43-23, while its bench was outscored by a 30-14 margin
• Knocking down a season-high 13 three-pointers, Hartford converted on 45-percent from behind the arc, including 67 percent (8-of-12) in the first half
• Hartford had a solid night at the free-throw line, making a season-best 22-of-25 for 88 percent, but the Pioneers cashed in on 25-of-31 attempts
• The Hawks were playing without senior George Blagojevic (12.4 ppg, 7.7 rpg)

 
NEXT ON TAP
Hartford returns home to host Bowling Green on Saturday, Dec. 1. The first-ever meeting between the Hawks and Falcons is slated for a 2 p.m. start.