WEST HARTFORD, Conn. — Junior guard D.J. Mitchell drained six three-pointers and scored a career-high 21 points off the bench to propel the Hartford men's basketball team past Maine, 65-50, on Sunday afternoon. With the series sweep of the Black Bears, the Hawks (5-2) improve their winning streak to five games, matching their longest rally since the 2014-15 campaign.
 
Maine, which was led by Vilgot Larrson's 11 points, dips to 0-2 on the season.
 
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HARTFORD 65, MAINE 50
The Hawks shot a season-best 56 percent (14-for-25) from the floor — including 54.5 percent (6-for-11) from three — in the first half to help build a 35-20 advantage at halftime. Mitchell, who led all scorers at the break with 14 points, was virtually unstoppable from three in that stretch, going 4-for-5. His final two triples 23 seconds apart in the final minute provided the Hawks with a comfortable 15-point lead at the break.
 
Maine closed the gap to seven after opening the half with eight-unanswered points, but wouldn't get any closer for the remainder of the game. A 4-0 spurt featuring a layup by sophomore Miroslav Stafl and a pull-up jumper by classmate PJ Henry quickly pushed the lead back into double figures, 41-31, and Hartford never looked back with 14:33 to go. Mitchell's four-point play on his sixth, and final, three-pointer gave the Hawks their largest lead — a 19-point advantage — with just under seven minutes left. 
 
NEWS & NOTES

• Mitchell's six three-pointers were the most in a game by a Hawk since 2019 graduate Jason Dunne knocked down six in a win against Binghamton on Jan. 30, 2019
• The Hawks' current five-game winning streak is the program's longest since 2014-15, when they won five straight from Nov. 16 – Nov. 28
• All nine players that registered at least three minutes recorded at least two points and one rebound in the win
• Joining Mitchell in double figures was Stafl, who went 6-of-9 from the floor for 17 points
• Henry put in quality minutes off the bench, scoring four points while adding a career-high seven assists, the most for a Hawk this season
• Hartford, which shot a season-best 46.2 percent from the field (24-for-52), dominated the boards with a 37-25 advantage
• Winning seven of the past eight against Maine, the Hawks improve their advantage in the all-time series to 48-32 with this weekend's sweep

 
NEXT ON TAP
The Hawks continue America East play with a two-game series at New Hampshire. The first of back-to-back dates in Durham, N.H., is set for Sunday, Dec. 27 at 1 p.m.