Box Score

Hamburg, N.Y. - The Hilbert Hawks men's basketball team had the hot hands tonight as they outscored the Red Hawks of La Roche, 69-61. Despite a 13-point lead in the first half, the Red Hawks gave Hilbert a tough game. Three Hawks found their way to double-digit scoring and Hilbert, as a team, shot 54.7% from the floor and 80.0% from the free throw line.

Kirkland Ottey got things started for the Hawks, scoring seven of the first eleven points for Hilbert. The Hawks came out rolling, finding each other for easy lay-ups and crashing the offensive boards hard. A steal and lay-up by Sean Weisansal gave Hilbert their largest lead of the night at 13, with 12:49 to play.

A 9-0 run by the Red Hawks brought the game within two (28-26). The teams traded buckets until the break, where the Hawks led 38-33.

Jerame Owens slammed it home with 14:27 remaining in the second half to extend the Hawks lead to 10. The Red Hawks capitalized off a cold streak for the Hilbert Hawks and bounced back, scoring the next eight points.

With the game knotted at 55 and 4:10 remaining, Trevor Stark found Ryan Bradt in the lane for a transition layup. With the two-point lead and three minutes to go, Stark took a three in transition that made every coach in the stands cringe but he nailed it to give the Hawks the two possession lead. Weisansal and Ottey connected on their bonus free throws to give the Hawks a nine-point advantage, but La Roche was able to hit a three to get within six. The Red Hawks fouled Ottey, who went back to the line and sealed the win with two more freebies.

Ottey led all scorers with 16 points, shooting 50.0% from the floor, while dishing off four assists. Owens added 14 points and had game-highs with nine rebounds and four blocked shots. Over the last two minutes of the game, Owens also recorded a momentum-shifting block and a key steal. Stark shot 6-10 from the floor and finished with 14 points and three assists. Xaiver Major was a perfect three for three, tallying six points, six rebounds, and two assists.

Zaire Redding led the Red Hawks with 12 points, six rebounds, and five assists.

Hilbert capitalized off La Roche's 15 turnovers, which they turned into 16 points. La Roche was able to hang around with Hilbert for so long because they also shot well from the floor, finishing the night at 47.2%. Hilbert was outrebounded 30-27, which included 11 offensive boards that they gave up.

The Hawks (16-5, 11-4) host Houghton College Wednesday, February 11th at 8pm.