HOUGHTON, NY – The Hartwick Hawks capitalized on a plethora of second-chance opportunities on Saturday afternoon, defeating the Houghton Highlanders in a game that came down to the wire, 74-69.
 
While the Highlanders outshot the Hawks, both from the field and from beyond the arc, Hartwick pulled down 20 more rebounds than Houghton, including 18 more on the offensive glass, leading to a 22-to-7 disparity on second-chance points.
 
And while their shooting percentages from the line were similar, Hartwick got to the line with greater frequency, shooting 10 more free throws and converting seven more than the Highlanders.
 
Regardless of the numbers, and trailing by 11 points with 11 minutes left to play in the game, the Highlanders began to mount a comeback. 
 
Slowly but surely, Houghton climbed back into contention, eventually taking a one-point lead on an Esafe Taufahema layup with 3:56 remaining.
 
Hartwick again expanded their lead to five points, and again Houghton rallied.  With less than a minute to play, David Rosa found Taufahema for basket to pull within three, then Rosa quickly stole the inbounds pass and converted the layup to trim the Hawks lead to only one point.
 
But Hartwick leading scorer, Cooper Francis, remained cool under pressure, draining all four of his foul shots in the waning seconds, to lock up the victory for the Hawks.
 
GAME VITALS
Score: Houghton – 69 | Hartwick – 74
Records: Houghton: 5-18 (4-12 Empire 8) | Hartwick: 8-14 (7-9 Empire 8)
Venue: Dix Family Court, The Nielsen Center, Houghton University | Attendance: 215

NOTABLE STATS
>> Jajuan Preaster led the Highlanders with 21 points, seven rebounds, five assists, five steals and two blocked shots.  He has eclipsed the 20-point mark nine times this season, including six times in his last seven games.  Over that seven game stretch he is averaging 21.9 points per game.
 
>> Rosa collected 19 points, six steals, four assists and five rebounds.  Over his last four games he is averaging 21 points and four assists per game.
 
>> Taufahema scored 15 points and blocked three shots.  He has reached double-digit points in 16 games this season, including each of the last five.
 
>> In his final home game as a Highlander, Reece Gustafson knocked down three shots from beyond the arc for nine total points.  With two regular season games left to play, he is averaging 5.1 points per game.
 
>> Francis finished with 21 points and 12 rebounds for the Hawks, while teammate Bobby Connors added a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.

COACH'S CORNER
"A great battle today that I wish would have gone our way for Reece [Gustafson]'s sake.

"Our defense is getting better and better, but we need to close out possessions with rebounds. Our offense found a lot of great looks, yet still generated 20 turnovers.

"The amount of fight this team has to consistently be in games with a large possession deficit as we typically have says a lot. We will continue to get stronger and develop our skills. It will only get tougher to win in Nielsen.
 
"I don't have enough time to talk about the character, perseverance, and leadership in Reece Gustafson. I've wanted all year to win something for this man to thank him for all the choices he's made to love, invest, fight, and excel for his teammates and this program's future. When we succeed in years to come, please remember that Reece helped to lay our foundation." - Head Coach Jeremy Bialek
 
UP NEXT
The Highlanders close out the regular season on the road next weekend when they travel to Keuka Park on Friday to take on the Keuka Wolves at 7:30 p.m., before heading to Utica University on Saturday to challenge the Pioneers at 4:00 p.m.