ALTOONA, Pa. – For the second time this season, the Hilbert College men's basketball team suffered a one-point loss at Penn State Altoona.

Tonight, with the right to advance to the semifinal game of the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference post season tournament on the line, the Lions from Altoona outlasted Hilbert's late rally and captured an 80-79 home court victory.

Hilbert (15-11) trailed by eight points (71-63) with exactly three minutes left in the game.   The Hawks inched their way back and appeared to have forced an 80-80 score with nine-seconds remaining.  But after a table discussion, the score board was altered to reflect Jalen Smith's long, two-point fast break jumper did not force a tie.

Hilbert fouled Altoona with five seconds on the clock and after the Lion player missed both shots, the Hawks had a chance for the win.  That 3-point shot misfired and the hosts advanced with an 80-79 victory.

Nicholas Parucki was solid tonight for Hilbert.  He posted 20 points, hitting a late-game long distance shot giving Hilbert life.  The sophomore forward also earned six rebounds and three blocks.

Derrek Carman grabbed another double double with 12 points and 10 rebounds while Hunter Martineau was one assist shy of a double double.  The freshman point guard collected nine assists, four steals and added 16 points.

Jalen Smith tossed in 15 points and dished four assists as Jonathan Jackson came off the bench and gave the Hawks a lift hitting 3-of-4 shots from the floor for six points.

With three lead changes in the first 20 minutes of action, Hilbert went to the locker room with a 34-33 lead.  Altoona jumped out to a 6-0 lead but Hilbert stayed close the rest of the half.  Martineau converted a pair of free throws and Jackson sank a jumper before intermission as Hilbert matched their largest lead in the game to that point.

Both team traded scores at the start of the second half until the Lions began to reach from downtown.  Ishemeal Nance, who finished with 29 points (11-14/4-5 3-point shots), struck twice from beyond the line and gave Altoona an 8-point lead (50-42). Kirkland Ottey responded with his 3-point shot, but Nance answered again for another 8-point spread.

With 1:20 left in the game, Hilbert was down by seven (75-68).  Parucki dialed up from down town cutting the score to three and the Hawks began to foul.

Altoona went 3-for 4 while Martineau, Parucki and Carman found the rim, cutting the score to 78-77.

The Lions went 2 for 2 at the foul line and Jalen Smith converted a fast-break jumper that turned out to be an extremely long two-pointer, setting an 80-79 score with 5-seconds remaining.

Hilbert finished the game shooting 44.9% from the floor with a 5-21 rate from 3-point land.  Altoona seemed to hit big shots when they needed them, but made 7-of-19 from deep and 42.3% from the floor.

The Hawks were 12-22 while the hosts were 13-20 in a one-point loss.

Altoona advances to the semifinals this weekend and will face the #1 seeded Medaille in the 1pm game February 25.  #2 Penn State Behrend will battle #3 La Roche College in the other semifinal game at 3:30pm.

The AMCC's automatic bid to the NCAA national tournament will be awarded to the champion of the Sunday, February 26 game in the Sullivan Center (1pm).