ALBANY, N.Y. — Senior David Shriver finished with a career-high 25 points on 7-of-9 shooting from beyond the arc as the Hartford men's basketball team defeated UAlbany, 67-55, on Tuesday night. The victory secured a top-four seed for the Hawks in the upcoming America East Playoffs.
 
Hartford (11-18), improves to 9-8 in America East action, while UAlbany, who were led by 24 points by Jamel Horton, falls to 13-17 overall and 9-9 in the league.
 
HARTFORD 67, UALBANY 55
Hartford started the game strong, jumping out to a 7-2 lead, sparked by a Traci Carter three-pointer. UAlbany would fight their way back, tying the game at 7-7 with 13:28 remaining in the first half. The two sides would trade leads as Carter sunk a midrange jumper, leveling the score at 16-16. The Great Danes would go on to take a four-point lead, by a Carter triple pulled the Hawks back within one, 20-19, at the 8:41 mark. However, UAlbany responded with a 7-0 run, increasing its advantage to eight. Hartford would not go down easy however, utilizing an 8-0 stretch of its own, tying the game at 30-30 after back-to-back David Shriver three-pointers were followed by a Carter layup. The two sides would enter the halftime break tied at 30-30. The Hawks shot 54.5 percent (6-of-11) from beyond the arc in the opening half.
 
Hartford and UAlbany continued to trade blows in the second half, playing out to a 38-38 tie at the 15:19 mark. From there, Shriver would shoot lights out from beyond the arc. Making three-straight triples, Shriver gave the Hawks a 49-45 lead with 8:03 remaining. The Hawks would extend the lead to seven after a D.J. Mitchell triple, but the Great Danes would close the gap to four, 56-52. Hartford would put the clamps on UAlbany in the closing stages, finishing the game on an 11-2 run, taking home a 67-55 victory.

INSIDE THE BOX & NOTES

• The victory secured a top-four seed in the America East Playoffs
• Shriver matched his career high of seven three pointers
• Carter finished just shy of a double-double, recording 17 points and nine rebounds
• McClain rounded out Hartford's double-digit scorers, finishing with 10 points
• Jared Kimbrough was a force defensively, leading the Hawks with three steals and three blocks
• Hartford held a 34-29 rebounding advantage
• The Hawks were red hot from beyond the arc, shooting 54.2 percent (13-of-24)

 
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The Hawks return to West Hartford for its 2021-22 regular season finale against UMass Lowell on Thursday. Tipoff against the River Hawks is set for 6 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