HAMBURG, N.Y. – After spotting the Panthers nine points in the opening minutes of the game, the Hilbert College men's basketball team took the court after intermission with a defensive passion which they converted into an offensive explosion. 

Hilbert improved to 15-5 overall and their 10-4 Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference win keeps them in fourth place and two games ahead of Bradford (10-10, 7-6) as they battle for a spot in the league's top level heading into play-offs.

Sean Weisansal and Malique McCoy led the second-half 53-point outburst but other Hawks did the little things which set the two shooters up for success.

Bradford jumped to their largest lead (9 points) several times early in the opening minutes but Hilbert slowly crept back into the thick of things.  Jerame Owens' lay-up at 5:45 gave Hilbert their first lead (27-26). After the visitors took another two possession lead, it was Kirkland Ottey who regained the lead off a pair of made free throws.  A few missed shots, turnovers and fouls gave Bradford a 40-35 advantage by the break.

Statistically, both teams were pretty even after 20-minutes of action although the Panthers held a 54.8% - 46.6% field goal advantage.  While the visitors made four more buckets (one 3-pointer), Hilbert was credited with four more free throws.

Eight of the nine Hilbert players found the scoring column with Jordan Kumro and Jerame Owens leading the balanced attack with seven points each.  Bradford's Keith Burgess tallied 12 points and picked up three steals in 19 minutes.

The second period was an exciting, up-tempo, who-is-going-to-blink-first half.

Owens' second bucket at 17:24 in the second half forced the game's second tie 43-43 and after that score, it was all Hilbert the rest of the way.

Weisansal dialed up a long distance shot and the Hawks next two possessions ended exactly the same way off Malique McCoy's finger tips.  Sandwiched by a pair of Weisansal freebies and Trevor Stark's steal out of the press (which he converted into a driving, contested lay-up) McCoy knocked down two other baskets to force a Bradford timeout.   That 17-10 run gave the Hawks a 60-53 advantage.

Hilbert pushed it even higher with a 11-5 run fueled by McCoy's six points and built their largest lead 71-58 with over eight minutes to play. 

Bradford did not quit offensively and focused their shooting eyes on the rim.   The Panthers made things interesting when they cut the difference to three (78-75) with 3:54. 

Hilbert played smart and converted shots at the foul line to split the series with Bradford this season. 

Hilbert sizzled the nets again as they burned Bradford's defense for 53 second half points behind 71.4% field goal percentage.  They knocked down 5-of-7 from beyond the arc.  The Hawks also finished with 12 steals, most of them swiped when the royal and white picked-up their intensity in the second half.

Sean Weisansal led all scorers with 24 points (8-of-11/2-of-4 beyond the line) and was perfect from the foul line sinking all six shots.  He added seven rebounds and five steals in 39 minutes of action. 

Malique McCoy tallied 21 points (9-of-12 / 3-of-5 from 3-point land). 

Jerame Owens played through early foul trouble and finished with 15 points and eight rebounds and game-high five steals.

Hilbert's next test is this weekend when they host La Roche College (1-19/1-12) at 4pm in the Hafner Recreation Center.