The "Battle of the Hills" went Hartwick's way tonight with a narrow 85-83 win against the SUNY Oneonta Red Dragons in non-conference men's basketball action.  Oneonta (1-3) had an opportunity to go ahead with seven seconds remaining in regulation but a shot by senior Jack Kolosky (Fishkill/Our Lady of Lourdes) was blocked by Brandon LaForest with just under four seconds on the clock.
 
Hartwick's Jake Sinicki made his first of two free throws to give the Hawks a two-point cushion.  One the missed second free throw, a desperation half-court shot by Oneonta bounced off the backboard as time expired giving Hartwick (4-2) the win.
 
Four players reached double figures for Oneonta in the game led by junior Dwayne Freeman (Schenectady/Notre-Dame Bishop Gibbons) with 19 points.  Freeman scored 16 of his points in the second half, as he heated up from behind the arc.  He ended the game with a career-high four three-pointers.
 
The senior trio of Kolosky, Mikey McElroy (Saratoga Springs/Saratoga Springs) and Lawrence Coleman (Croton on the Hudson/Hendrick Hudson) added 13, 18 and 17 points respectively.
 
The visitors had six players in double figures tonight led by Marc du Moulin's 16 points.  LaForest and Sinicki each contributed 14 points while Ned Bakic scored 12 points and Joey Lufkin and Justin Pratt added 11 points each.
 
The two squads played to a dead even 42-42 score in the first half.  The Hawks shot an even 50 percent from the floor including 7-of-13 from long range.  Oneonta shot 45 percent in the opening half and were led by McElroy's 13 points.
 
The Red Dragons built itself an eight-point lead in the first five minutes of the second half.  After a lay-up by Sinicki, Oneonta put together a 17-7 run capped by a lay-up from graduate student Frankie Kelly (Brewster/Kennedy Catholic).
 
The Hawks countered with a 13-1 spurt over the next five minutes and a Sinicki lay-up gave them a 64-60 lead with just over 10 minutes to go.
 
Neither team could pull away and four ties later saw the score at 81-81 with 2:58 remaining.  After a couple of scoreless possessions for each team, Lufkin buried a three at the 1:20 mark to put the Hawks up 84-81.
 
McElroy brought Oneonta right back to within one-point on the next possession as the clock read 1:05.
 
Neither team could answer as time ticked away.  Oneonta had a couple of opportunities prior to the block at the end, but couldn't convert.
 
Oneonta will begin its SUNYAC schedule this weekend with games at Brockport and SUNY Geneseo this weekend on the road.