DURHAM, N.H. — Junior
Moses Flowers scored a game-high 27 points, including 23 in the second half to fuel a furious comeback bid, but the Hartford men's basketball team came up short at New Hampshire in a 70-64 decision on Wednesday night. Trailing by as many as 22, the Hawks pulled within four down the stretch before running out of steam in the closing minute.
Hartford (5-13), which entered the game riding two straight wins, dips to 3-3 in America East action. Led by 23 points from Jayden Martinez, UNH improves to 9-8 overall and 4-4 in the league.
NEW HAMPSHIRE 70, HARTFORD 64
An ice-cold start allowed UNH to run away with the game in the first half. The Hawks shot just 19.4 percent from the field (6-of-31) during that stretch, as the Wildcats used a 19-0 run to push ahead by as many as 22 at 35-13 with 2:45 left. A 4-0 spurt at the end of the stanza would close the gap to 35-17 at the break.
Hartford started to heat up after intermission, though. Using four three-pointers — including three from Flowers — the Hawks chiseled the deficit down to 15 over the first six minutes of the period. Midway through the period, Hartford sank nine straight free throws before senior
Jared Kimbrough capped the run with a dunk to make it a 57-50 game with 6:36 left.
After Jayden Martinez responded with a three to put UNH back up by 10, Hartford continued to chip away, delivering three straight buckets to pull within four (60-56) with 3:36 to go. Despite back-to-back makes from long range making it another late 10-point lead for the home team, the Hawks would come within four two more times in the closing minutes, but were held off by free throws from the home team.
INSIDE THE BOX & NOTES
- Flowers came two points off of his career high after leading all scorers with 27 points
- He knocked down five three-pointers and finished 11-of-16 from the field
- Senior Austin Williams joined Flowers in double figures with 15 points, marking his 15th-straight double-digit scoring contest
- Graduate student Hunter Marks, classmate Traci Carter and senior David Shriver grabbed seven rebounds apiece as the two teams finished even in the category (39-39)
- UNH held a 36-22 advantage in points in the paint
- Turnovers were few and far between, as the Hawks committed eight to the Wildcats' seven
- The Hawks and Wildcats split the regular-season series
- UNH went 43.4 percent from the field (26-of-60) to Hartford's 34.4 percent (22-of-64)
- Hartford won the first meeting of the season, 69-57, in West Hartford last month
- With the defeat, the Hawks fall to 47-31 in the all-time series
NEXT ON TAP
The Hawks return home to host the UAlbany Great Danes on Saturday. Tipoff from Chase Arena at Reich Family Pavilion 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:
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