Three players reached double figures, but it wasn't quite enough as the Hartford men's basketball team fell to Morgan State University Friday, 61-54, inside the Chase Family Arena.

Pano Pavlidis tied a season-high with 14 points with eight rebounds, while Kurtis Henderson contributed 12 points. Jared Kimbrough reached double digits for the third straight game with 11 points. He added six rebounds and a season-high four blocks.

Hartford got off to a slow start as the Bears scored 15 of the game's first 17 points. The Hawks committed four turnovers and missed their first four shot attempts in the sluggish beginning. However, once the Hawks settled in and started taking care of the ball – things started falling into place.

Over the final five minutes of the first half, trailing by nine, Hartford scored 10 of the last 11 points to pull even at the break. The Hawks caused six turnovers and Morgan State was 0-for-7 during the game run.

Hartford's run was extended to 12-1 as Pavlidis gave the Hawks its first lead of the game with a driving lay-up on the first possession of the second half. While the lead didn't last long, the Bears couldn't pull away, and with 13:48 remaining, Michael Dunne's lay-up had the Hawks back in the lead.

Unfortunately, Morgan State answered with a 10-2 run to reclaim a lead, this time at seven points. Hartford continued to fight back, pulling to within one possession three separate times. Each time the Hawks got within a basket, MSU had an answer.



INSIDE BOX & NOTES

• Hartford head coach Tom Devitt and MSU head coach Kevin Broadus were members on the American University coaching staff together.
• It's the ninth time this season that at least three players have reached double figures in a game.
• It's the second time this season Pavlidis reached double figures.
• Leading scorer, Briggs McClain, returned to the lineup after missing the last two games. He finished with six points on 2-of-10 shooting, marking just the third time this season he didn't reach double figures.
• Pavlidis recorded a season-high four steals.
  
  NEXT ON TAP

Hartford begins a stretch of four consecutive road games as the Hawks take the short trip to Fairfield for a meeting with Sacred Heart University 7 p.m. January 7.