WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – The Hartford men's basketball team cruised to its first victory of the season, downing Northern Vermont University-Lyndon 85-43 on Thursday night inside Chase Arena at the Reich Family Pavilion. The win was the Hawks' first with interim head coach Tom Devitt at the helm.
 
Box Score
 
HARTFORD 85, NVU-LYNDON 43
 
The Hornets led 8-6 early in the first half before Hartford broke loose on a 21-2 run midway through the period. The Hawks followed with another 9-2 run late in the half, putting the game out of reach. Hartford also put together runs of 11-3, 12-2 and 11-2 down the stretch.
 
Junior guard Briggs McClain led all scorers for the second straight game, dropping 21 points for the Hawks. Freshman Braxton Jones netted his first career basket and finished with 14 points, while Pano Pavlidis added 10. Mondwell Burke finished with 10 for the Hornets.
 
Hartford dominated the boards, 48-33, and outscored Lyndon 48-16. After contributing three points in the season opener against Sacred Heart, the Hawks' bench came alive versus the Hornets. Five players scored their first career points and Hartford's reserves held a 40-19 edge in scoring.
 
INSIDE THE BOX & NOTES

• Jones knocked down a 3-pointer midway through the first half for his first career basket
• Macahi Nelson (9 points, 6 rebounds), Lorenzo Washington, Isiah Middleton and Davon Ellison also scored their first points in a Hartford uniform
• Jared Kimbrough (7 rebounds), Matt Hobbs, McClain, Pavlidis, Nelson each had at least 5 rebounds
• Pavlidis led the Hawks with 4 assists
• Hartford's reserves entered en masse midway through the second half, with three subs seeing at least 17 minutes of action
• Washington, Ellison, Nelson, Middleton, Henry White, Carlos Edmundo and Isaiah Rice all made their season debuts
• Hartford's 85 points were the most for the Hawks since dropping a 92-85 decision at UMBC on Feb. 23, 2022, and the most in a winning effort since defeating UMass Lowell 89-75 in the 2020 America East playoffs

NEXT ON TAP
The Hawks will visit St. Francis (Pa.) for the Jack Phelan Classic on Saturday, Nov. 12. The teams are scheduled for a 7 p.m. tipoff in Loretto, Pa. Phelan was a Hall of Fame coach at Hartford and a Hall of Fame student at St. Francis. The Red Flash claimed an 81-66 victory in the inaugural Jack Phelan Classic on Dec. 14, 2021, in West Hartford, Conn. and St. Francis owns a 2-1 edge in the all-time series.