HAMBURG, N.Y. – The Hilbert College men's basketball team returned to action for the first time in 2022 when they hosted a red-hot Case Western Reserve University team this afternoon in the Hafner Recreation Center.
 
The Spartans carried a nine-game win streak into WNY and ran away with a 102-80 non-conference victory over the Hawks.

THE BASICS

• Final Score:  Case Western Reserve 102   I  Hilbert 80
• Location: Hafner Recreation Center  I Hamburg, NY
• Records:  Spartans 10-1   I  Hawks 5-8

HIGHLIGHTS

• Quran Briggs led the Hawks with 17 points, often elevating over the Spartan defenders for jumpers inside the paint. 
• Edward Perez tossed in 15 points, grabbed seven offensive rebounds (9 total) and went 5-for-7 at the foul line.  Eric Jackson also shot well at the charity stripe (4-for-6) adding 10 points from the floor as Elijah Powell hit 5-of-7 jumpers in the lane for 10 points. 
• Jahmel Demery, another 50-percent shooter from the field (8  points), worked hard on the glass, pulling down nine rebounds and led with a team-high five assists.

HOW IT HAPPENED
 

• Eric Jackson's layup in the paint within the game's first 30-seconds gave Hilbert a 2-0 lead.
• Case Western responded with a pair of 3-pointers, a traditional 3-point play and a fastbreak layup to build an 11-2 lead before the Jackson found the bottom of the net again.
• Shaheem Ellis struck from downtown and pulled Hilbert within seven points (15-8) after four and a half minutes of action.
• The Spartans built a double figure lead one trip later and extended that margin to 17 points with just under 12 minutes left in the opening session.
• Briggs and Nevada Eldridge trimmed the spread back to 12 points but the Hawks witnessed an 8-0 run over the following three minutes and fell behind by 20 points.
• Hilbert didn't quit running their patterns and a Zach Miller 3-pointer pulled the Hawks within 15 points at 3:29.  
• The Spartans continued to push the pace and scored four more buckets in the paint before the break taking a 55-36 lead to the locker room.
• After giving up 32 points in the paints to the Spartans in the first half, Hilbert switched to a zone defense in the second half in effort to clog the middle.
• CWRU responded with timely makes from beyond the arc as they continued to make the extra pass for the open look.
• Neither team made any significant run in the second half as each team traded buckets the rest of the way.
• Perez led the Hawks afdter the break with 13 points, hitting 5-of-7 from the field along with four offensive rebounds.
• Powell was perfect from the floor, connecting on all five field goal attempts in eight minutes and Demery kept the ball moving finding the open man with four more assists in eight minutes.
• All 14 Hawks saw minutes as the team prepared for a return to AMCC action later this week.

GAME NOTES

• Case Western Reserve, who notched 100 points for the second time in four games, extended their win streak to 10 games today after dropping their season-opener in early November.
• Eric Jackson also shot well at the charity stripe (4-for-6) adding 10 points from the floor and added another 10-point solid performance for the Hawks.
• Zach Miller came off the bench and connected on both long-distance shots for six points in 12 minutes and Wendell Abellard was credited with two steals, matching Perez and Eldridge as the team leaders in thievery.
• CWRU shot a blistering 51.9-percent from the field, and sank 11-of-32 attempts from beyond the arc.  They were credited for 27 team assists and finished with a 50-36 advantage in points in the paint.
• The Hawks, who shot 53-percent in the second half, finished the game with a 43.7-percent connection rate.  The 3-point line hurt Hilbert today, as they only made 3-of-12 from deep.

 
UP NEXT

The Hawks have one day to prepare for their first AMCC game of the second semester this week.  Hilbert will host cross-town rival Medaille College at 4:00 pm January 5.

* story was updated to reflect a new start time for Jan. 5th contest.