About Hartwick Basketball

Oneonta, New York, United States
Hartwick is among the North East’s elite liberal art colleges both academically and athletically. Hartwick has a reputation of academic excellence and offers a most diverse selection of degree programs, with a strong emphasis on a liberal arts education. Our campus is truly beautiful. We are located on a scenic 425-acre site on the northern slopes of New York’s Catskill Mountains, in Oneonta, a town considered by some experts to be among the top ten best college towns in America. Hartwick offers a small college atmosphere; as the student/faculty ratio is 11 to 1, and the average classroom size is 15. Yet we are only 70 minutes from the state capital, Albany, and two and a half hours from New York City. This setting provides an ideal atmosphere academically, athletically, and socially for the aspiring student-athlete. Combine these facts with tremendous facilities, a great schedule, and a major commitment to the basketball program, and you can see why Hartwick basketball has made the final four and is a true Division III Giant! As a member of the Empire 8 Conference, Hartwick competes successfully in one of the premier Division III conferences in the country.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

HARTWICK WINS 1ST GAME

AURORA, NY - Hartwick College topped Wells College 66-59 in men's basketball on Sunday in the season opener for both teams. Sophomore Mark Blazek (Erie, PA/Erie Cathedral) poured in a game-high 24 points to lead the Hawks. The game marked the first on-campus contest for the Express, in its second year as a Division III program.


Blazek connected on four of his nine shots from the floor, including three treys. He also went 13-of-14 from the free-throw line. Senior Kyle Phillips (Ashland, MA/Ashland) added 15 points and a team-best seven rebounds. Senior Martin McCann (Hopewell Junction, NY/Our Lady of Lourdes) registered nine points hitting three out of his six attempts from beyond the three-point arc.


The game was back and forth throughout with the lead changing hands 13 times. The Express, which was just a game away from the NCAA Tournament last season losing in the NEAC finals, gained the upper hand, 9-7, on a Paulino layup with 15 minutes to play in the first half. The Express kept the advantage until the final minute of the period.


Wells gained its biggest lead of the day, 25-18, with less than six minutes left before the Hawks scored on its next four possessions to dig into the deficit. With less under a minute left, two Phillips free throws gave the Hawks their first lead and senior James Mantas (Niskayuna, NY/CBA) hit a layup with nine second on the clock for a 35-32 Hartwick edge at the break.
A 12-2 run early in the second half regained the lead for Wells and with 14 minutes to play the Express held a 44-40 edge. The game see-sawed back and forth for the next 10 minutes with neither team able to earn more than a two-point advantage. ''Wick took the lead for good with five minutes left as Blazek hit two free throws to snap a 54-54 tie. From there, Hartwick did all of its scoring from the charity stripe hitting 10-of-12. Blazek would connect on nine of the free throws for the Hawks to help put the game on ice.


The Hawks are back in action next weekend as they host three teams in the Tom Greene Memorial Tip-Off Classic. Hartwick opposes Cazenovia and MCLA on the weekend with Castleton State also taking part in the tournament.
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