Box Score

Saratoga Springs, N.Y.--  Junior forward Bobby Langford (Worcester, Mass.) scored a team-high 14 points, including a final go-ahead lay-up with 1:06 to play to lead the Skidmore College men's basketball team to a 78-75 win over Hartwick College in the team's home opener.

The Thoroughbreds improve to 3-3, while the Hawks fall to 4-2.

Skidmore opened the game with a 14-4 run, increasing the advantage to 43-29 with 2:24 to play in the half. Hartwick finally got on track with a 13-0 run to close the half, cutting the Thoroughbred lead to one,  43-42.

Skidmore regrouped to open the second with a 10-3 run to grab a 53-45 lead with 17:41 to play.  Jon Douglas (Shutesbury, Mass.) scored five of the 10 points, while Jeff Altimar (Medfield, Mass.) hit a three and Terron Victoria (Albany, N.Y./Bishop Maginn) had two points and an offensive rebound that led to an assist and a Douglas three.

The Hawks responded with an 18-2 run to lead by eight, 63-55 with 11:15 to play.  Jan Coccozziello scored nine of his game-high 25 points during that stretch.  That would be it for Hartwick.  Skidmore held the Hawks without a field goal for the final 7:34.

Down 71-64 with 6:57 to play, the Thoroughbreds put together a final 14-4 run for the win.  Victoria started the run with a field goal and Gerard O'Shea (West Sand Lake, N.Y./Averill Park) followed that with a three-pointer to cut the lead to two 71-69 with 5:44 to play.  The Hawks went up 73-69 on a pair of free throws, but Altimar hit a clutch three to get Skidmore back within one, 73-72.

After the teams exchanged missed shots and a pair of turnovers, O'Shea calmly hit a pair of free throws with 2:23 left to give the lead back to the Thoroughbreds, 74-73.  Hartwick regained the lead one last time, 75-74,  on made free throws by Albert Hulick with 1:57 to play.

The teams traded missed shots again, with Altimar grabbing a key defensive rebound and finding Langford underneath for the 76-75 lead.  Victoria hit a pair of clutch free throws with 24 seconds to play for the 78-75 final.  The Hawks missed pair of shots in the last eight seconds, with Langford grabbing the final rebound to end the game.

Langford finished with 14 points, nine rebounds, a block and three steals.  Altimar added 13 points and seven rebounds.  Victoria scored 12 points and had three assists, while O'Shea had 10 points and a game-high five assists.

Mark Blazek finished with 22 points for Hartwick, while A.J. Beaulieu scored 16 off the bench.

Skidmore will host Castleton State College on Saturday at 2 p.m.

Hartwick vs Skidmore College
12/2/08 8pm at Sports&Rec Center, Saratoga Springs, NY
At Sports&Rec Center, Saratoga Springs, NY
SKIDMORE COLLEGE 78, HARTWICK 75
HARTWICK (4-2)
Jan Cocozziello 10-21 4-6 25; Mark Blazek 8-13 2-2 22; A.J. Beaulieu 6-9 2-2
16; Albert Hulick 1-5 4-6 6; Martin McCann 1-2 0-0 3; James Mantas 1-2 0-0
2; Kyle Phillips 0-2 1-2 1; Chris Ryder 0-3 0-0 0; Greg Bankowski 0-0 0-1 0;
Ramond Doyley 0-1 0-4 0; Shane Tanzosh 0-1 0-0 0; Mike Agostinoni 0-1 0-0 0.
Totals 27-60 13-23 75.
SKIDMORE COLLEGE (3-3)
Bobby Langford 7-14 0-5 14; Jeff Altimar 5-6 0-0 13; Terron Victoria 4-11
4-4 12; Gerard O'Shea 3-7 2-2 10; Brian Lowry 3-7 1-2 9; Jon Douglas 3-4 0-0
8; Jake Shechtman 2-4 0-0 5; Ivan Paladin 1-1 2-3 4; Melvis Langyintuo 1-2
0-0 3; Sam Cohen-Devries 0-4 0-0 0; Raoul Oloa 0-3 0-2 0. Totals 29-63 9-18
78.
Hartwick......................   42   33  -   75
Skidmore College..............   43   35  -   78
3-point goals--Hartwick 8-23 (Mark Blazek 4-7; A.J. Beaulieu 2-4; Jan
Cocozziello 1-5; Martin McCann 1-1; Chris Ryder 0-1; Shane Tanzosh 0-1; Mike
Agostinoni 0-1; James Mantas 0-1; Albert Hulick 0-2), Skidmore College 11-24
(Jeff Altimar 3-4; Gerard O'Shea 2-3; Jon Douglas 2-3; Brian Lowry 2-4; Jake
Shechtman 1-2; Melvis Langyintuo 1-2; Raoul Oloa 0-1; Terron Victoria 0-4;
Bobby Langford 0-1). Fouled out--Hartwick-Kyle Phillips, Skidmore
College-None. Rebounds--Hartwick 35 (Ramond Doyley 10), Skidmore College 42
(Bobby Langford 9). Assists--Hartwick 12 (A.J. Beaulieu 3), Skidmore College
19 (Gerard O'Shea 5). Total fouls--Hartwick 14, Skidmore College 19.
Technical fouls--Hartwick-None, Skidmore College-None. A-394