WEST HARTFORD, Conn. —In a slugfest that featured 16 lead changes, senior Austin Williams knocked down a three-pointer with half a second remaining Sunday to break open the game's sixth tie and lead the Hartford men's basketball team to a thrilling 77-74 win against visiting Binghamton. Williams finished with 16 points to lead the Hawks to the regular-season sweep of the Bearcats.
 
Hartford (7-4), which remains perfect at home with a 6-0 record inside Reich Family Pavilion, improves to 4-2 in America East action. Binghamton (1-8 overall) falls to 1-5 in league action.

PHOTO GALLERY
 


HARTFORD 77, BINGHAMTON 74
The Bearcats came out of the gates hot, knocking down each of their first six shots from three to run out to a 28-14 lead. Hartford, which drilled 10 first-half three-pointers on 62.5% shooting, clawed back to pull within one, but Tyler Bertram knocked down Binghamton's eighth triple of the game to put his team up, 45-41, at the break.
 
Mitchell, who led the Hawks with 11 points at the break, was one of three Hartford players with a trio of first-half triples, joining graduate student Traci Carter and sophomore PJ Henry. The Bearcats were also on fire in that opening stretch, shooting 70.8% from the field, including 72.7% from behind the arc. 
 
Hartford claimed its first lead since the 15:29 mark of the first half after Carter followed a jumper with a three on the next possession to make it 55-53. From there, the lead would change hands seven more times, before a 6-0 run put the Bearcats up by three, 72-69, with 4:08 remaining. 
 
The Hawks tied up the game twice, first at 72-all with 3:48 left on a Williams' three-point play and again at 74-74 with 2:11 to go on a pair of free throws from Henry. That score stood until Williams' game-winner, which came after Binghamton was whistled for a costly offensive foul with six seconds left in the contest.
 
INSIDE THE BOX & NOTES

• Hartford's current six-game winning streak inside Reich Family Pavilion is its longest at home since the 2002-03 season
• The Hawks placed a season-best six players in double figures, led by Williams' 16 points
• Carter checked in with 15 points behind a 4-for-8 effort from long range
• The grad student added eight assists and six steals, both of which are season-high marks
• Hartford was lights out from behind the arc with a season-high 59.1% effort (13-for-22)
• Binghamton also had a great shooting night, going 59.2% from the field (29-for-49) and 56.3% from long range (9-for-16)
• The Bearcats were unstoppable in the first half, shooting 70.8% from the field and 72.7% from three
• The Hawks scored 22 points off of 15 Bearcats' miscues
• Mills scored a game-high 21 points to lead Binghamton, while Bertram added 19 points
• Hartford has won each of the past eight games in the series to improve its advantage against the Bearcats to 29-13

 
NEXT ON TAP
Hartford hits the road for a two-game set at UMass Lowell next weekend. The Hawks and River Hawks begin the series on Saturday with a 12 p.m. tip from the Costello Athletic Center.