ONEONTA, NY - The Hartwick College women's basketball team led local rivals Oneonta State by as many as 11 points in the first half, but the Red Dragons outscored the Hawks 33-12 in the second half to record their first win of the season, 58-43. 'Wick slips to 0-2.
Shannon Weir led all scorers with 20 points for O-State. Casey Snyder was next with nine. Heather Pruchansky (Naples, FL) paced the Hartwick offense with nine points. Kara Foro (Schenectady, NY) and Brooke Anderson (Hopkinton, MA) each tied for a game-high seven rebounds for the Hawks, and Lauren Ploof (Hammond, NY) dished out a game-high six assists.
The opening ten minutes went back and forth before Hartwick went on a 13-2 run in a three-minute span to go up 24-13 with just over seven minutes left in the opening stanza. Pruchansky would lead the charge with three three-point baskets in the 'Wick run. The Red Dragons would counter with a 12-7 run to close the half down by six points, 31-25.
The Hawks began the half cold as they managed just two points, misfiring on 11 of their first 12 shots in the opening nine minutes of play. The Red Dragons would creep back into the game and take the lead for good, 39-37, on a trey by Rebecca Bucci with 8:04 left.
Over the next four minutes, the Hawks could only get a pair of Katie Caddell (Amsterdam, NY) free throws to fall, before Cassie Dresser's (Ovid, NY) basket cut the Oneonta lead to six, 47-41. The Red Dragons would pull away in the remaining four minutes with another 11-2 surge to close out the game and record the win.
Hartwick women's basketball travels to Chicopee, MA this weekend for the Elms College Tournament. The Hawks open up play Friday night at 8 p.m. against Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.
