Jan. 17, 2004

Box Score

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. - Four players scored in double figures as the University of Hartford men's basketball team picked up its first America East win of the season, downing Stony Brook, 69-55, Saturday afternoon at the Chase Family Arena.

Hartford improved to 5-8 overall and 1-4 in the America East. Stony Brook dropped to 5-10 overall and 2-4 in the conference.

Sophomore Aaron Cook finished with 18 points to lead the Hawks. Freshman Bo Taylor recorded his first career double-double with 14 points and a career-high 12 rebounds, and sophomore Charles Ford dished out a game-high four assists to go with his 12 points. Senior Ryan Stys rounded out Hartford's scoring with 11 points, all from the free throw line.

Both team struggled to find their offense in the first half, with Hartford shooting 44 percent from the floor to Stony Brook's 39 percent. The Hawks turned the ball over 10 times in the stanza, though it took a layup by Stony Brook's Mitchell Beauford at the end of the half to make it 24-24 at the break.

The game remained close for the first 10 minutes of the second half, with neither team taking a lead of more than five points. Trailing by a point with under 13 minutes to play, Cook drilled a jumper that gave Hartford a 39-38 lead. The Hawks would never again trail, pumping the lead to 54-43 by the 7:40 mark.

Stony Brook whittled the deficit down to seven with 2:50 remaining but would get no closer. Seven of Hartford's final nine points came from the free throw line, where the Hawks shot a season-high 90 percent (17-of-19).

Stony Brook's D.J. Munir led all scorers with 20 points, but he was the only SBU player to finish in double figures. Mike Popoko and Cori Spencer finished with eight points apiece, and Popoko pulled down eight rebounds to lead the Seawolves.