ELMIRA, N.Y. -- In its first taste of Empire 8 Conference action of the 2019-20 campaign, the Elmira College men's basketball team came up just short against the visiting Hawks of Hartwick College, 71-64, inside of Speidel Gymnasium.

Hartwick improved to 8-3 overall with a 1-0 mark in conference play, while Elmira moved to 1-9 with a 0-1 record to open the E8 schedule.

The Hawks came out firing in the first half, knocking down a blistering 58.33% of their shots from the floor. Hartwick showcased its penchant for the deep ball over the opening 20 minutes of action, nailing six shots from deep at a 42.86% clip. Elmira was able to stick with the Hawks despite the visitors' hot shooting, as the Purple and Gold capitalized on 11 Hartwick turnovers.

Elmira slipped behind the Hawks early, as a 3-pointer from Sam Hanley put the visitors up 13-6. EC kept chipping away at the deficit, however, and eventually wrenched the lead from Hartwick with just over six minutes to play. Shawn Backus '21 lined up a deep ball but was knocked down on the play earning a trip to the charity stripe. The junior calmly drained all three attempts to push EC ahead, 27-26. Despite the slim lead, Elmira was unable to maintain its edge as the Hawks scored the final eight points of the half to take a 37-30 advantage into the break.

The Soaring Eagles defense came alive in the second half, limiting Hartwick to a 30% mark from beyond the arc. As stiff as EC's defense was at the 3-point line, the Purple and Gold's shooters were just as good at the opposite end, draining 6-of-11 (54.55%) from deep.

Hartwick pulled ahead by 10 to open its largest lead of the game after a pair of free throws by Bobby Connors at 13:59. Despite the deficit, Elmira engineered a 13-point run capped by a 3-pointer from Mason Weir '21 to jump ahead 52-49. Jesse Adelson '20 drained a shot from deep to give Elmira a six-point edge.

As time continued to wind off the clock, the Hawks' offense found its rhythm once again, as a trey from Bobby Connors gave the visitors a 66-63 lead with just over two minutes to play. The Purple and Gold continued to battle, but Hartwick's defense stifled the Soaring Eagles down the stretch to seal the victory.

Austin Haskell did a majority of the damage for the visitors, finishing with 28 points and 13 rebounds in 36 minutes of action. For Elmira, Backus and Adelson led the offense with 15 and 13 points, respectively. Weir ended the contest with eight points and a team-high five boards.

News and Notes

• The Soaring Eagles forced Hartwick into a season-high 18 turnovers.
• Elmira finished with 16 assists compared to 14 by Hartwick.
• EC tied its season-high with nine made 3-pointers.
• 10 different Soaring Eagles recorded a basket against the Hawks.
• Backus finished in double figures for the second consecutive game and the seventh time this season.
• Adelson knocked-down a season-best three treys.

Up Next
The Soaring Eagles are back in action on Monday, January 6, when they host St. Lawrence University in a non-conference tilt. Tip-off against the Saints is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.