WEST HARTFORD, Conn. —Five players scored in double figures on Sunday, as No. 4 Hartford punched its fourth straight ticket to the semifinals of the America East Playoffs with an 83-77 victory over No. 5 UAlbany inside Reich Family Pavilion. Grad student Traci Carter led all scorers with 20 points, while junior D.J. Mitchell contributed 17 for the Hawks (13-8).
 
The Great Danes also had five double-digit scorers, led by C.J. Kelly's 18 points. UAlbany finished its season with a 7-9 record. 
 
PHOTO GALLERY



#4 HARTFORD 83, #5 UALBANY 77
After a hot-shooting half by both teams, the Hawks, who led by as many as seven, took a 38-34 edge into the halftime break. Mitchell knocked down two of his game-best four three-pointers in that stretch as he paced Hartford's offense with 11 points. 
 
Hartford opened up a nine-point advantage on another Mitchell triple with 18:42 to go, but a Great Danes' rally would prevent the home team from pushing its lead into double figures. Chipping away at its deficit, UAlbany forced the game's first tie since tipoff at 57-all on a pair of Jarvis Doles free throws midway through the stanza.
 
The game remained tight, with the Great Danes making it a one-possession game with 1:24 to go on a pair of free throws. But with 58 seconds left, Carter drilled a step back jumper to put the Hawks ahead by five and ultimately seal the victory.
 
INSIDE THE BOX & NOTES

• Both teams shot the ball extremely well, with UAlbany going 55.6 percent from the field (25-for-45) to Hartford's 52.9 percent (27-for-51)
• With 41 total fouls called, the two teams combined to go to the line 55 times
• The Hawks finished the game going 21-of-27 from the free-throw line
• Mitchell had a hot hand from the field, going 6-for-10, including 4-of-6 from behind the arc
• Stafl (13 points), Marks (13) and Williams (11) rounded out Hartford's double-digit scorers
• Winning the last four games in the series with UAlbany, the Hawks close the Great Danes' lead in the all-time series to 25-17
• For the first time in program history, Hartford advances to the semifinals of the America East Playoffs for the fourth straight year
• The Hawks are 9-1 inside Reich Family Pavilion this season

 
NEXT ON TAP
The fourth-seeded Hawks advance to the semifinals for the fourth time in as many seasons to face No. 2 Vermont on Saturday, March 6. Tipoff from Patrick Gymnasium is set for 4 p.m.

---

For an inside look at Hartford men's basketball, stay with HartfordHawks.com for updates and follow the team on social media: Twitter | Instagram