Box Score

ERIE, Pa -- The Hilbert College women's basketball team suffered every team's nightmare in their 65-56 loss at Penn State Behrend. 

Natalie Whitman continued her dominance in the AMCC by posting 26 points and grabbing 17 rebounds and Emily Speidel added 10 points for the visitors who dropped to 4-10 overall (2-15 AMCC).   Amber Hay gave a great defensive effort coming up with three steals and passing for seven assists for Hilbert.

Four of Behrend's staring five reached double figures as the hosts improved to 4-19 (3-14 AMCC).

Hilbert was able to get more shots off, with better field goal percentage (38.1% vs 29.1%), and they controlled the glass by outrebounding Behrend by 13 boards (49-36) with 18 offensive caroms.  The Hawks failed to control the ball as they were credited with 22 turnovers as Behrend collected 15 steals.

But the biggest dagger in the Hawks game plan was the amount of time they spent at the foul line watching the Lions shoot.  Hilbert was whistled with 24 team fouls that converted into 37 Behrend free throw attempts (29 makes). 

Conversely, the home team finished the game with 14 fouls and Hilbert attempted only nine shots from the charity stripe (making five).

After spotting Behrend an opening long ball, Hilbert converted on their next three possessions to take a 7-3 lead.  Kylie Reinholz broke the seal for Hilbert, Speidel reached from beyond the arc and Kateland Ball added a lay-up.  Five consecutive free throws by three different Lions gave the host's their lead back (8-7) for good.   Behrend went to the locker room with a 33-22 lead.

Whitman and Speidel garnered eight points and Whitman almost out-rebounding the entire Behrend squad with her 12 boards by the break.

Things didn't change much for the Hawks in the second half.  Behrend scored a three-pointer to open the second period, and followed that with four layups. The Lions hit their second-to-last basket at 16:08 giving them a 42-26 lead. 

Hilbert battled to cut the score, but the Lions found ways to add points back on the score board from 15 feet away in a dead ball situation.  Behrend fired off 19-second half points from the foul line the last sixteen minutes without connecting from the field again until 4:58.

Hilbert's will to fight back was led by Whitman, who scored 10 of the Hawks' 12 points to get within six (54-48) at 5:45. Then it was Wyann Jackson's turn as her three-pointer and pair of free throws on the next possession cut the spread to five (58-53).

Behrend scored seven more points at the line to capture the win.

Hilbert closes-out their 2013-14 season this weekend when they travel to La Roche College for a 4pm tip.  La Roche, the three-time defending AMCC champions, currently sits in a two-way tie with Medaille College with a 15-2 league record.