Game Recap
Hartford Women’s Basketball defeated the CNE Rival Suffolk Rams 71-56 on Wednesday, clinching a playoff spot for the first time in the Conference of New England (CNE).
Depsite a close game early in the first quarter, the Hawks defense put on a stellar defensive performance from Hartford, holding Suffolk to 4-15 shooting overall and 0-4 from the three point range. Alongside the lockdown on defense, Hartford went on a 21-4 run from the midway point of the first quarter to halfway through the second. Despite a pair of buckets from Suffolk’s Jordan Moreau, the Rams could not find their way back into the game, and a pair of three pointers at the end of the first half from Lauren Sabia gave the Hawks a 44-29 lead. The Hawks lead reached its largest margin in the third quarter, with Hawks center Ava Naszimento scoring a layup to bring the Hawks lead to 24 points. Naszimento led Hartford with 17 points on 6-9 shooting, along with three rebounds, two assists, and one block.
Suffolk continued to struggle from three point range throughout the night, with the 3-pointer from Colby Guinta in the second quarter being the Rams’ only made three-pointer of the night despite 15 attempts from beyond the arc. Despite outscoring Hartford 16-7 in the fourth quarter, the Hawks held on, improving to 8-9 in CNE play, with the final score being 71-56.
Playoff Implications
With the win, the Hartford Hawks clinched the number 5 seed in the Conference of New England playoffs. As the bracket stands, the Hawks will face the Nor’easters of the University of New England in round one. The Hawks have played the Nor-easters twice this season, splitting the series 1-1. The Hawks won the first contest 61-58, on December 7th, 2024 at the Chase Arena, with Lauren Sabia scoring 26 points on 9-15 shooting, including a 6-10 line from 3-point range. In the second matchup, the Nor-easters returned the favor, defeating the Hawks 71-58 behind double digit scoring from three players, Sydney Jenisch (19 Points), Gabby Soter (13 Points), and Maddy Werner (12 Points).
No time has been announced for the first round of playoffs.
