Box Score Hartwick 96, Utica 59 - Box Score

Utica, NY (1-27-12) – The Utica College men's basketball team was defeated, 96-59, Friday night by Empire 8 Conference rival Hartwick College at the Clark Athletic Center.  Junior Matt Baldwin (Gloversville, NY/Gloversville) led the Pioneers with 16 points on 5-of-12 shooting.

UC returns to the hardwood Saturday as it hosts Stevens in Empire 8 Conference play. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m.  Hartwick heads to Ithaca Saturday to face the Bombers in hopes of its sixth straight win.

Utica hung with the Hawks for the first ten minutes, clinging to a four point deficit.  Baldwin netted seven of his 16 points in the first eight minutes of play.  HC began its surge at 11:47 as it went on a 14-2 spurt over the next five minutes to take a 37-23 lead at 7:13. The teams exchanged blows, totaling 15 points each, to close out the first half as the Hawks led 52-38 at the intermission.

HC came out in the second half on an 11-0 run to take a 63-40 lead at 16:58.  The visitors did not let up as they drove to a 31 point advantage over the next ten minutes and held an 86-55 lead with less than eight minutes to play.  The Hawks closed out the match with a 10-4 run as they remain atop the conference standings.

Junior Jeff Ward (Ossining, NY/Ossining High School) added 15 points and nine boards, while sophomore Chris Jeffers (Albany, NY/Bishop Maginn) and senior Reggie German (New Hartford, NY/New Hartford) combined for 15 points, three rebounds and three assists for UC.

HC shot 54.4% from the floor and an impressive 53.6% (15-of-25) from behind the arc compared to UC's 33.3% shooting and a dismal 20% (5-of-25) from downtown.

The Pioneers are now 6-13 overall and fell to 2-6 in the E8, while Hartwick improved to 17-2 on the season and remain tied in first at 6-2 with Stevens and Nazareth.