BOSTON, Mass. – Freshman Josh Petion (Brooklyn, N.Y.) scored a game-high 26 points as the University of Hartford men's basketball team (4-3) defeated Wentworth Institute of Technology (4-3), 80-66, Tuesday night in Tansey Gymnasium.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Wentworth jumped out to a 5-2 lead to open the game on a three pointer from junior Jack Connell (Walpole, Mass.) and a layup from classmate Tyler Stewart (East Taunton, Mass.). Connell extended the lead to 14-9 with a layup by Connell.
• A 7-2 run by Hartford saw the Hawks tie the game on a second-chance basket from freshman Jaylen Brown (Baldwin, N.Y.) with 11:46 left.
• Connell knocked down a pair of threes and sophomore Nathan Brinkman (Trumbull, Conn.) had a trifecta as part of an 11-0 run that saw the Black & Gold take a 27-16 lead after two free throws from sophomore Russell Dolabany (Westwood, Mass.). After senior Sam Goy (Derry, N.H.) made a layup to make it a 10-point (55-45) game with just under six minutes to play, the Hawks used a 5-0 spurt to cut the lead in half.
• A pair of Goy layups and a jumper from junior Nathaniel Smith (Beacon Falls, Conn.) helped give Wentworth a 40-31 lead with 2:57 to go. Hartford scored the next four points, however, sophomore Mike Yentin (Beverely, Mass.) knocked down a three, pushing the lead to 43-34 before the hosts led, 43-37, at the break. Wentworth shot 68 percent from the floor in the opening frame.
• The Hawks opened the second half on a 7-2 run, closing the gap to one on a jumper from Petion. On a second-chance attempt, Connell buried a deep three to push the lead back to four and a Yentin layup with 14:38 left gave Wentworth a 52-46 lead.
• After Stewart made a layup to make it a 56-52 game with 11:24 left, both teams went cold for nearly three minutes before a steal and basket from freshman Kaosi Chijioke (Suwanee, Ga.) ended the drought. After a missed three pointer, freshman Stephen Akwiwu (Atlanta, Ga.) tied the game with a layup.
• Freshman Sean Racette (Trumbull, Conn.) gave the hosts a 58-56 lead with 7:40 left in the contest, however, a 16-3 Hartford run gave the Hawks a 72-61 lead with 2:26 left after Petion scored his second of back-to-back layups.
• Connell finished with a team-high 18 points to go along with three assists and three steals. Goy was also in double figures, scoring 13 points while grabbing nine rebounds and dishing out three assists.
• In addition to Petion, three other Hawks were in double figures as Akwiwu scored 15 and had six assists, while freshman Henry Herman (Atlanta, Ga.) and graduate student Trayon Rumley (New Haven, Conn.) had 13 apiece.

ALL-TIME SERIES:

• Tonight was the first-ever meeting between the two teams.

NEXT UP:

• Wentworth is at New England College on December 14.

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