Men's Basketball

Utica Holds Off Late Hartwick Charge

ONEONTA, NY - Trailing Utica by 13 points with 6:15 to play, Hartwick fought back and had two possessions with a chance to tie the game but fell three points short in the end, 63-60. The victory for the Pioneers is their 13th of the season and keeps them tied for third in the Empire 8 standings. 'Wick is now 9-12 and 3-10 in conference play.

Utica opened up a 60-47 lead with just over six minutes to play in the game, but a 9-1 run over the next four minutes made it a one-possession game (61-58) with 1:52 remaining. Jan Cocozziello (Scotch Plains, NJ) would convert two baskets for the Hawks, and following a Utica free throw, a Mark Blazek (Erie, PA) three-pointer made it a seven-point game with 3:37 on the clock.

On the next trip down the floor, Blazek picked Utica star Doug Herring's pocket and finished the layup and the Hawks were within five points. Hartwick had two chances to get even closer but Cocozziello and Ramond Doyley (Yonkers, NY) both missed the front ends of one-and-ones. Utica would come up empty again, however, and Blazek would connect on a jumper for 61-58 lead with 1:52 left.

Herring would sink a pair from the line with 76 seconds left before an A.J. Beaulieu (Chicopee, MA) driving jumper made it 63-60 with exactly a minute to go. Herring would be the go-to again for Utica, but his jumper with 27 seconds left was off the mark giving the ball back to the Hawks with a chance to tie. Blazek would get a look from the right side, but his three-point attempt with 15 seconds left would not fall. Cocozziello came down with the offensive board and Blazek had another opportunity from deep with eight seconds to go but the ball deflected off the rim.

With six seconds remaining, Utica's Justin Maxwell had the chance to ice the game at the line, but he missed on the front end of his one-and-one attempt and the Hawks called timeout with four seconds to play. Taking the ball out underneath their own basket, 'Wick attempted a baseball pass to midcourt to increase its chances of getting a good shot to tie the score, but the pass was tipped by A.J. Trahms who was defending on the baseline and it was grabbed by Herring who ran out the final seconds.

Herring led all scorers with 24 points. He hit 10 of his 15 shot attempts (67%) on the day. He also tied for a team-high with six rebounds. Guard James Patterson scored 12 points for the Pioneers and Patrick Goodman added 11.

Blazek finished as the Hawks' high scorer with 18. He hit four three's on the night and added a game-high three steals. Cocozziello netted 15 points and Doyley registered a double-double with 12 points and a game-high 10 boards. Albe Hulick (Greenville, NY) scored nine points.

The first half was close for the entire 20 minutes with neither team gaining more than a six-point lead. Herring was 6-of-7 for 14 points including a pair of treys to help the Pioneers to a 28-26 lead at the break.

Early in the second half, Utica earned some breathing room with a 16-4 run in the first 5:45 of the period for a 14-point edge, 44-30. The Pioneers would maintain at least a 10-point lead until just over 10 minutes left when the Hawks began chipping away at the lead.

Hartwick wastes little time trying to get back on track as it hosts Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts tomorrow in a makeup contest from Jan. 6. Game time is slated for 7 p.m.