HAMBURG, N.Y. – The Hilbert College men's basketball team kept pace with the quick style of play Alfred State College enjoys playing.  The Hawks beat the Pioneers at their own game building their largest lead (21 points) in the final minute of the AMCC contest.
 
13 different Hawks scored in tonight's 94-73 victory over Alfred State with Hilbert tossing in 34 points from the foul line.

THE BASICS

• Final Score:  Hilbert 94   I  Alfred State 73
• Location: Hafner Recreation Center, Hamburg, NY
• Records:  Hawks 8-12, 4-7  AMCC   I  Pioneers 8-11, 4-7 AMCC

HIGHLIGHTS

• Shaheem Ellis led the Hawks with 16 points off the bench after he came in to the game and spun his way to the basket.  He lifted Hilbert at a time the Hawks needed a push in the second half, hitting seven consecutive points.
• Jon Evans added 14 points (4-for-4 from the field, and 6-6 at the foul line) while grabbing five rebounds (4 OR), and Quran Briggs elevated for 13 points, hitting 5-of-9 from the floor.

HOW IT HAPPENED 

• Hilbert exploded for an 8-0 lead before Alfred State scored their first point off a free throw at 16:36.
• The Pioneers then went on a 6-0 run to pull within one point (8-7) just 80-seconds later.
• The Hawks responded with 15-1 push which gave them a 23-8 lead with more than half of the opening session played.  In that run, Michael Pollard and Quran Briggs shared the load of scoring but they had help from Elijah Powell, Jon Evans and Zach Miller.
• The Hawks struggled to put points on the board the next six minutes and, at 4:56, Alfred State knotted the game 32-32.
• Evans started a mini scoring spurt, hitting two from the charity stripe before he and Briggs dunked in back-to-back Hilbert fast breaks.  Shawn Gashi hit a pair from the floor and Ellis went coast-to-coast for another score, lifting Hilbert by nine points (44-35) with just over a minute left in the first half.
• The Hawks come out of the locker room with a 46-38 lead and they quickly built on that.
• Alfred State picked up their pace, forced a faster game again and pulled within one (54-53) but never got any closer.
• Ellis knocked down a 3-pointer, finished another transition lay-in and then grabbed a defensive rebound which led to an Evans jumper creating a 15-point margin again (70-55) with 9:13 remaining.
• Hilbert scored four buckets and went 16-for-20 from the foul line in the final nine minutes of the game.

GAME NOTES 

• Hilbert finished the game hitting fifty-percent from the floor (29-58) but only made 2-of-8 from down town.  They spent a lot of time at the foul line, hitting 34-of-49 attempts.
• The Pioneers closed the contest hitting 38.8-percent yet made five three pointers but only 16 free throws (of 26 attempts).
• The pace of the game forced defenders to reach and both teams were whistled for more than normal fouls.  A-State collected 35 tweets while Hilbert suffered 22 fouls called against them.
• The Hawks outscored the Pioneers 30-16 in second chance points, 51-35 in bench points and 42-37 in points in the paint.

 
UP NEXT

Hilbert hits the road this weekend when they travel a rare Saturday afternoon game in Erie, Pa.  against Penn State Behrend.  The Hawks will tip-off at 4pm February 5 in the Junker Center.