Hartford erased a seven-point South Carolina State lead in the final 2:24 of regulation, then outscored the Bulldogs 14-6 in overtime to earn an 80-72 decision over Coach Tim Carter’s team in the consolation bracket of the Findlay Toyota Las Vegas Invitational at the Orleans Arena.
The Bulldogs took a 65-58 lead on a Jason Flagler 3-pointer with 2:24 left in overtime and appeared to have the game under control, however, the Hawks used pressure defense to create four straight turnovers during a 8-1 run that pulled Hartford into a 66-all tie on Jaret Von Rosenberg’s 3-pointer with 15.1 seconds left.
SC State, which dipped to 1-5 with the loss, had a chance to pull out the game, however, Carrio Bennett’s runner with the clock running down was off the mark and a tip by the Bulldogs’ Jason Johnson came too late, forcing the extra period.
The Hawks grabbed a 72-66 lead in the extra period on back-to-back 3-pointers by Joe Zeglinski and Von Rosenberg with 3:11 left in overtime. Derrick Davis got his only basket of the game for the Bulldogs with just under two minutes left to close the gap to 72-68 but Zeglinski countered for the Hawks on the other end, and after a Bulldog basket by Jessie Burton made it 74-70 with 59.8 seconds left, Von Rosenberg sealed the win for Hartford with six free throws in the final 49.1, with the last four coming after Johnson had gotten two from the stripe for the Bulldogs with 39.2 ticks on the clock to slice the margin to four at 76-72. Von Rosenberg’s free throws accounted for the final margin.
Flagler led the Bulldogs effort with 15 points and eight rebounds in earning a spot on the All-Tournament Team. Julius Carter came off the bench for 12 points and Bennett and Burton added 10 each in the loss. Johnson had 11 rebounds for SC State to earn game honors in that department and also contributed nine points.
Hartford’s Von Rosenberg led all scorers with 31 points, with nine coming in overtime. Zeglinski added 11 points and Warren McLendon 10, along with a team high seven rebounds.
The Bulldogs led 34-31 at the break, following a seesaw first half that featured four lead changes and two deadlocks.
Turnovers, which have plagued the Bulldogs all season, was the difference in the ball game, as Carter’s team was guilty of 22 in the game, six in the final minutes of regulation. The Hawks committed just 12 miscues in the contest.
“For almost 38 minutes, we played superb basketball,” said SC State’s Carter. “We were patient and took good shots. But for the last 2:20, when they began to press, we fell apart. We had a breakdown at point guard and could not get the ball across half court.
“We got a great effort from Jason (Johnson) on the glass, and (Jason) Flagler played well also, but the turnovers down the stretch were the difference in the ball game. Up by seven with 2:20 left, you are supposed to win.
“But, we will just have to regroup and get ready for our next ball game,” he continued. “We have a whole week to prepare for Winston-Salem State.”