HOUGHTON, NY— The Hartwick Hawks kicked off the second half with an offensive explosion, scoring 28 points in the third quarter to pull away from the Houghton Highlanders for their third Empire 8 win of the season, 75-43.
 
The Hawks opened the game with an 11-0 run before the Highlanders pulled back into contention.  Amanda Jackson nailed a jumper at the buzzer to pull Houghton within a point, 19-18, at the end of the first.
 
The teams traded leads throughout the second until, with 10 seconds remaining and the Hawks up by one, Maggie Kirby sank a layup to give Hartwick a three point lead at the break.
 
The second half, however, would be a different story.
 
After going 0-for-10 from beyond the arc in the first half, the Hawks knocked down 3-of-5 from long range, and 10-of-20 overall from the floor, in the third quarter.  Houghton, who had committed eight turnovers in the first half, gave the ball away 10 times, as Hartwick outscored the Highlanders, 28-6, to build a 25 point lead heading into the final period.
 
Houghton, who started the game with only seven available players, saw that number reduced to six with only a minute remaining in the third quarter, as point guard Alexis Klohr fouled out of the game. 
 
While Houghton's care of the ball improved significantly over the final 10 minutes, the shots would not drop and the Hartwick lead proved insurmountable.  The Hawks outscored the Highlanders in the final quarter, 16-7, to cap the victory.
 
GAME VITALS
Score: Houghton – 43 |Hartwick – 75
Records: Houghton: 7-5 (1-2 Empire 8) | Hartwick: 8-4 (3-1 Empire 8)
Venue: Dix Family Court, The Nielsen Center, Houghton College | Attendance: 105

NOTABLE STATS
>> Hannah Roeske and Natalie Rivera each tallied 10 points for the Highlanders.  Roeske added three steals and six rebounds, while Rivera picked up two steals and five rebounds.
 
>> Kirby led the Hawks with 17 points and 12 rebounds, while Giuliana Pritchard scored 11 points and collected five rebounds and five assists.
 
UP NEXT
The Highlanders return to the Nielsen Center tomorrow for a matchup with the Russell Sage Colleges Gators at 2:00 p.m.