The Mohawk Valley Men's Basketball took on Hudson Valley in a 7:00 PM contest at the Jorgenson Center, on Thursday evening.
A very competitive game got off to a quick start for the Vikings as they took an early 6 point lead, causing the Hawks to call timeout and make a few adjustments on both ends of the floor. The Hawks punched back with a 11-2 run over the next 3 minutes to take a 4 point lead. Freshman Forward Oliver Rodgers entered the game and gave the Hawks a nice boost in that stretch, which proved to be important as the game went on. With momentum on their side, the Hawks battled physical Hudson Valley defense and were able to take a 9 point lead into the half, 40-31 over the Vikings.
In the second half, the Hawks amped up their defense and were able to push the tempo and create some easy scoring opportunities as a result. A few strong drives by Jalen Bradberry were key in the Hawks second have surge. Isaiah Earl had a couple emphatic dunks that ignited the Mohawk Valley friendly crowd, and put the Hawks lead to as many as 23 points.
With a well coached and physical Viking team battling until the final tip, the Hawks were able to prevail with a 81-61 victory over the visitors. With the victory, the Hawks have won their 3rd straight game, and earned their 13th Region 3 victory of the season.
Isaiah Earl led the way for Mohawk Valley with a 21 point, 11 rebound outing. Lateef Johnson returned from illness to add 16 points and another double double for the green and white. Jalen Bradberry was impressive once against putting up an efficient 15 points outing to help lead his team to victory.
Tyruse Boock and Oliver Rodgers both added 10 point outings to the signature balanced Hawk attack as well. Sophomore Guard Michael Moreno was also a key player in the victory as he played high level defense, scored 8 points, grabbed 6 steals, 8 rebounds, and dished out 6 assists.
"As the final week of Region 3 play closes in, its really about solidifying the rotation and working to be playing your best basketball in late February and March. We certainly have taken our bumps and bruises along the way so far with a few bad beats late in games, injuries, and illness, but all of those things have helped us grow closer together as a group and learn. This group is working hard and trending the way it needs to be at this point in the year, and we are excited about that." Coach Fuller said after the victory.
The Hawks will be back in action Saturday afternoon as they take on Corning Community College at 2:00 PM, on the campus of Mohawk Valley Community College.