WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – For the second time in as many games, Hartford men's basketball grinded out a win in overtime, as it opened league play by taking down defending America East Champion UMBC, 66-64, inside Reich Family Pavilion on Wednesday. The Hawks, who have won each of their last three, improve to 8-8 overall. 
 
Redshirt-senior John Carroll recorded a double-double on 13 points and a season-best 14 rebounds, while seniors George Blagojevic and J.R. Lynch led the Hawks' scoring with 16 points apiece. UMBC, which falls to 9-8 and 1-1 in league action, was led by an 18-point effort from Arkel Lamar.

PHOTO GALLERY
 


HARTFORD 66, UMBC 64 ot
 
There was no rust for the Hawks after a nine-day break, as they ripped off a 10-0 run to open the game. But UMBC, which was held to an 0-for-7 start from the field, chipped away, bringing the Hartford lead down to 28-23 with 3:09 left. Senior Travis Weatherington knocked down his second and third three-pointer of the half to push the Hawks' lead back into double digits before K.J. Jackson cut UMBC's deficit down to nine at 34-25 with a layup before the break.
 
After turning in a 54.2 percent effort from the floor — which included an 8-for-16 clip from long range — in the first half, the Hawks got cold in the second. UMBC took advantage and with 7:32 left, Joe Sherburne tied up the game for the first time since opening tip on a free throw before Lamar scored five-straight points to give the Retrievers a 53-48 lead with 6:17 to go. With 1:53 left to play, UMBC led, 59-54, but Weatherington and Lynch combined to go 5-for-5 from the line to force overtime.
 
Behind a pair of free throws and two buckets in the paint from Blagojevic, the Hawks never trailed in overtime. With Hartford leading, 65-63, Brandon Horvath had a chance to tie the game, but went just 1-of-2 from the line. In the closing seconds, two rare misses from the charity stripe by Lynch with the Hawks up by two gave the Retrievers one last crack with 2.5 seconds left, but Ricky Council's three out of the timeout came up short.
 
INSIDE THE BOX AND NOTES

• Weatherington knocked down four three-pointers and went 3-of-3 from the line to finish with 15 points
• Weatherington and Carroll, who made each of his first three attempts from long range in the opening half, combined to shoot 7-of-10 from behind the arc
• Hartford finished 41.3 percent from the field (23-of-55), while UMBC went 41.1 percent (23-of-56) from the night
• With the victory, the Hawks improved their home winning streak to five games

 
NEXT ON TAP
The Hawks head to preseason favorite Vermont on Saturday for a 7 p.m. tip inside Patrick Gymnasium. Last season, Hartford stunned the Catamounts in Burlington, ending their 34-game conference winning streak with 69-68 victory.