Men's Basketball Opens Conference Season With Road Win

Joe Zeglinski helped the Hawks rally in the second half.

Joe Zeglinski had 13 second-half points and Morgan Sabia continued his hot streak with a game-high 19 points as the Hartford men's basketball team got the America East season off on the right foot on Wednesday night, winning 61-59 at Maine. Sabia added a team-best seven rebounds and was named the America East Player of the Game, along with Maine's Troy Barnies.

Zeglinski finished with 16 points for the game, leaving him just four shy of Justin Bailey for third place on Hartford's all-time Division I scoring list. The game marked his 118th career outing - all starts - as Zeglinski tied three Hawks, including current Director of Basketball Operations Brian Glowiak for the school's all-time record for games played.

Hartford trailed 26-22 at halftime after shooting just 28.0 percent (7-for-25) from the field. Sabia had nine first-half points, which helped keep the Hawks in the game. 

Things improved dramatically in the second half. Sabia got things started with a three-pointer on Hartford's first possession, making it a one-point game. Two minutes later, Milton Burton's three-pointer tied the score. Burton would score eight of Hartford's next 10 points as the Hawks took their first lead of the second half on his three-pointer with 14:40 to play, leaving the Hawks up, 35-34. The lead would be extended to eight points over the next five minutes.

Maine slowly climbed back into the game, eventually knotting the game at 57. The Hawks went quickly down the floor and found Anthony Minor underneath for a lay-up and a lead they would not relinquish.

The win, Hartford's first on the road this season, is the first league victory for head coach John Gallagher. Ironically, it came at Maine, the site of previous head coach Dan Leibovitz's first America East victory during the 2006-07 season.

Hartford will be back on the court at home on Sunday afternoon against Albany.Tip-off is 3 p.m.