HOUGHTON, NY – With 3:22 left in the game, what could have turned the tide against the Houghton Highlanders, turned into a game-sealing hustle-basket by Trey Flatt as the Highlanders defeated the Hartwick Hawks for their sixth conference victory of the season.
 
With Houghton clinging to a 75-74 lead, the Hawks trapped Houghton's Christian Sage near the sideline and deflected the ensuing pass to Flatt near midcourt.  As the ball caromed to a Hawks player, Flatt hustled after the ball, blocked the attempted forward deflection, grabbed the ball and drove to the basket for a layup that put the Highlanders up for good, 77-74.
 
From that point on, the Hawks, who had played the Highlander tight the entire game, and even led by as many as 10 points in the first half, never recovered.  Houghton hit 7-of-9 free throws down the stretch to seal the win.
 
Four Highlanders—Sage, Lou Bellamy, Jajuan Preaster, and Flatt—finished with double-digits in the scorer's column, completing a well-balanced team-win.
 
GAME VITALS
Score: Houghton – 85 | Hartwick – 80
Records: Houghton: 11-8 (6-4 Empire 8) | Hartwick: 3-16 (3-7 Empire 8)
Venue: The Nielsen Center, Houghton University | Attendance: 265

NOTABLE STATS
>> With conference games remaining on the schedule, the Highlanders win tied for the most conference wins (2015-16, 6-10) since joining the Empire 8.  The 11 overall victories is also the most for a Houghton men's basketball team since 2015-16, when the team finished 12-13.
 
>> After knocking down 7-of-11 (64 percent) three-point shots in the first half, the Hawks hit only 3-of-12 (25 percent) in the second.
 
>> Sage led the Highlanders with 19 points and six assists, while Bellamy added 18 points, five boards and four assists. Sage has reached double-digit points in nine of his last 10 games, and 15 times total this season.  Bellamy has also accomplished the fete 15 times this season, including in each of his last five games.
 
>> Preaster collected 16 points, six rebounds and four assists.  He now has 1,364 career points, passing Houghton legend Harold Spooner ('74) to move into seventh place on the career scoring list.  He is currently 117 points behind sixth-place-holder, Dylan Lambert ('19).
 
>> Flatt chipped in 11 points, two assists, two steals and two blocks, all in the second half.
 
>> Xymier Thomas led the Hawks with 20 points and eight rebounds, hitting 8-of-12 shots from the field.
 
COACH'S CORNER
"Hartwick really tested us. They've been playing great basketball lately and did again tonight.
 
"Credit to our guys for locking down defensively. Big praise for our bench coming through. Preston Thomas went down and Donovan Loudermill, who was playing so well, did too. Guys just kept coming in and contributing.
 
"We closed it out with poise, which is exciting as we near post-season play."
 
"Christian Sage's leadership and savvy continue to shine. He has incredible feel that gets him and his teammates great looks.
 
"I hope people are enjoying the Lou Bellamy and Jajuan Preaster combo while we have it. They are so tough in the paint, but them each having four assists tonight shows just how dangerous they can be.
 
"Trey Flatt's second half was all energy. He's such a presence on defense and made some huge steals to help turn the momentum." – Head Coach Jeremy Bialek
 
UP NEXT
The Highlanders return to the Nielsen Center tomorrow afternoon, when they will host the Russell Sage Gators at 4:00 p.m. as part of Alumni Day.