When the University of Hartford men’s basketball team was up off the bench, towels waving and coaches cheering, no one would have guessed it would be for the team’s reserve guard Taylor Dyson. The Australian freshman didn’t show up on any scouting reports, but his performance Tuesday night was crucial as Hartford topped Dartmouth 68-56 at Leede Arena.
Guard Alex Mitola ’16, center Gabas Maldunas ’15 and forward Connor Boehm ’16 all finished in double figures for the Big Green, but Hartford was in control for most of the game.
The game got off to a slow start as neither team scored until the 17:11 mark, when Maldunas elevated for an easy lay-in.
The scoring continued to trickle in, with both sides communicating well on defense and protecting the paint from high-percentage shots. Maldunas played well early on both ends for the Big Green, picking up four points and three rebounds in the first 10 minutes.
The game was back and forth when the Big Green cut the Hawk’s lead to three on a tough three-point play from Kevin Crescenzi ’16 with under five minutes remaining in the half, but Hartford struck right back with an 11-4 charge, extending its lead to 10 with just 0:40 remaining.
Though things looked grim as the first half drew to a close, Dartmouth mounted an impressive last-minute rally. Mitola sunk two free throws at the 0:22 mark after slashing to the paint and drawing contact on his shot, and Crescenzi floated in a layup in transition at the buzzer to head into the locker room down 28-22.
At halftime, the disparity in shooting percentage between the two teams was stark, with the Big Green making a weak 33.3 percent from the field compared to the Hawks’ 55 percent. However, Dartmouth kept the score close with a 16-11 advantage on the glass.
In light of its initial shooting struggles, the Big Green focused on getting to the foul line early and often in the second period. John Golden ’15 scored Dartmouth’s first three points of the half on an old-fashioned three-point play, and Boehm sunk two foul shots on the next possession. Maldunas didn’t miss his turn at the charity stripe, following Boehm’s free throws with a three-point play of his own.
After this string of high-energy plays, the team suddenly had new life, showing confidence on the floor. Two possessions after Maldunas’ basket, Mitola hit his rotation perfectly to drain a wide-open three. Tommy Carpenter ’16 then muscled his way into the paint, drawing a foul. He made his first free throw to tie the score at 34. The second free throw clanked off iron, but Boehm snatched the rebound and powered his way to the hole for a layup, giving Dartmouth its first lead since 2-0 at the 17:11 mark of the first half.
Hartford did not give up its advantage for long. Jamie Schneck hit a layup to tie the game back up at 36, starting a 11-2 Hartford run that would put the team on top for good. Dartmouth struggled to find an answer for Dyson, who felt his stroke early and provided a huge spark from long range for the visitors.
Ultimately, Hartford’s strong performance in the paint was too much for the Big Green to handle. Mark Nwakamma drove and got to the line consistently, scoring seven points in the final eight minutes.
Dyson ended up being the standout performer of the game. Normally a role player off the bench, averaging 5.3 points per game on the season, he looked polished and confident Tuesday night, dropping in a game-high 20 points on 6-for-7 shooting, 5-of-5 from beyond the arc. He also made three of four attempts from the foul line.
Dartmouth stayed very close to Hartford in the rebounding and assist totals. The Big Green’s main weakness on the floor all night was its inconsistency shooting the ball, making 39.1 percent of their shots, compared to the Hawks’ 52.6 percent.
Mitola said he found his team’s performance Tuesday night uninspiring, especially before a tough stretch against Ivy League opponents.
“This is not where we want to be,” he said. “We have to do some soul-searching before [Harvard University] and get it back together so we can start the Ivy League off the way we want to.”
Hartford coach John Gallagher said his team focused Tuesday night on defending Dartmouth’s big men and shutting down the Big Green’s three-point shooting. They did both very effectively, limiting Dartmouth to 21.4 percent from long range and Maldunas to just 12 points.
“When you have a good player like [Maldunas], he’s going to find ways to score,” Gallagher said. “We just tried to limit his shot attempts, like they did to [Nwakamma].”
Dartmouth now looks to its upcoming difficult road trip. The Big Green opens Ivy play at Harvard on Jan. 11, and then heads to St. John’s University on Jan. 18.
