WEST HARTFORD, Conn.  - The Hartford men's basketball team dropped a hard-fought battle at home Thursday night, falling in overtime to Western Connecticut State University by a 101-92 final in a back-and-forth non-conference match-up.

Rapid Recap:

• WestConn's first half was fueled by pressure defense and transition attacks, turning a slow offensive start into a double-digit lead over the Hawks. The Wolves were able to bring their lead up to 17 with eight minutes remaining. Junior Kaosi Chijioke (Suwanee, Ga.) and senior Drew Stack (Madison, N.J.) pushed back on the Wolves driving to the paint and sinking shots beyond the arc. Despite their attempts WestConn persevered with a series of fastbreak score and steals they were able to build a 41-29 advantage to bring into halftime. Hartford struggled to handle the temp, coughing up turnovers that WestConn consistently converted into points on the other end.
• The second half saw Hartford claw back behind Chijioke and sophomore River Eberhardt (Berlin, Conn.) who combined to chip away at the Wolves' lead. Junior Kyle Winters (Corte Madera, Calif.) took command offensively, stringing together key finishes while senior Kent Olewiler (York, Pa.) powered through inside to help cut what had once been a double-digit deficit down to a single possession. Chijioke provided a major lift on both ends, converting at the rim and battling on the glass as the Hawks grabbed their first lead of the night, 60-58, with just over seven minutes left. The game turned into a possession-by-possession grind from there, with WestConn answering each Hartford push and both sides trading free throws and clutch buckets in the closing minutes. Winters hit four critical free free throws in the final seconds to keep Hartford alive. With two seconds on the clock, freshman Ben Miller (Milford, Conn.) calmly stepped up to the free-throw line, the Hawks trailed 78-76. Miller hit both free throws with composure sending the contest into overtime.
• In overtime, WestConn quickly took control of the game, opening with a 10-point unanswered run over the Hawks. Key plays from Nick Boyce and Tayejon Lynch lifted the Wolves.. Hartford struggled to find consistent offense in extra time. WestConn's fast breaks, timely steals, and clutch scoring steadily built a double-digit advantage to dominate this extra period. Despite a late three-pointer off the hands of Stack in a fastbreak, WestConn's early OT surge proved too much, sealing the 101-92 victory.

• Chijioke lead the Hawks at home putting up a season-high 23 points (7-14 FG, 1-3 3PT, 8-8 FT) along with nine boards, one assist, and one steals. Winters was the next leader for Hartford bringing in 18 points (6-11 FG, 1-2 3PT, 5-6 FT) grabbing one offensive rebound and six assists. Olewiler also had a strong showing putting away 16 points (7-12 FG, 2-3 3PT, 0-2 FT) adding four rebounds and five assists.
• WestConn's leader was Marcel Henry taking home 28 points (11-19 FG, 0-1 3PT, 6-8 FT) along with seven rebounds, one assist, and one steal.
• WestConn capitalized off mistakes tonight bringing in 34 points off of turnovers compared to Hartford's 16. 

Up Next:
The Hawks will stay at home to host Connecticut College Monday, December 29th with a tip-off at 5:00 P.M.