WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – Hartford men's basketball grinded out its second-straight win on Sunday, taking down Oakland, 87-82, in its Capital City's Game of the Year. Seniors George Blagojevic and J.R. Lynch scored 24 and 21 points, respectively, to pace the Hawks, who improve to 5-7 on the season.
 
Oakland dips to 4-7 with the defeat. Jaevin Cumberland led all scorers with 26 points, knocking down seven of the Golden Grizzles' 18 three-pointers.

PHOTO GALLERY
 
HARTFORD 87, OAKLAND 82
 
Oakland got going early from long range, making four-straight three-pointers within a three-minute stretch to erase Hartford's 12-8 advantage and go up, 20-12, midway through the first. The Hawks battled back, though, reclaiming the advantage at 29-28 on an 8-0 spurt with 5:12 left. The two teams would battle back-and-forth for the remainder of the half, resulting in a 45-44 Hartford advantage at the break.
 
The Golden Grizzlies struck first in the second stanza to push ahead, but the Hawks quickly opened up a 10-point lead — their largest of the game — on a 13-2 run that included three-pointers from seniors Jason Dunne, Travis Weatherington and J.R. Lynch. The Golden Grizzlies would close the gap to two points at 74-72 on a Karmari Newman three-pointer with 5:33 to go, but solid free-throw shooting down the stretch — a perfect 11-of-11 effort — allowed the Hawks to close out the game for the win.
 
INSIDE THE BOX & NOTES

• Blagojevic has been feeling it lately, averaging 28.0 points in each of the Hawks' past two wins. Scoring 19 points in the first half, he added a team-best seven rebounds, five assists and four steals.
• Lynch, who went 9-of-9 from the free-throw line, has made each of its last 29 attempts from the stripe.
• Hartford has landed two 20-point scorers twice this season, with redshirt-senior John Carroll and Dunne accomplishing the feat last month at Sacred Heart. 
• The Hawks shot 55.1 percent from the field (27-of-49), their second-straight outing of 55-percent or better shooting.
• Hartford was solid from the line as well, going 25-of-29 for 86.2 percent.
• Oakland, which drained 11 three-pointers in the first half, shot 47.4 percent from three, making 18-of-38.
• Weatherington and Dunne also finished in double figures for the Hawks with 17 and 12 points, respectively, while redshirt-sophomore Nikola Colovic added a career-high seven points.

 
NEXT ON TAP
The Hawks break for finals before returning to action with a road game at Wagner on Saturday, Dec. 22. Tipoff from Staten Island is set for 2 p.m.