ERIE, Pa. – The Hilbert College men's basketball team knocked off Penn State Behrend, the top team in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference this afternoon.  The 71-70 victory gave Hilbert their first win against the Lions dating back to February 14, 2018.

Eric Jackson assisted on the thunderous dunk and then scored the team's final four points as the Hawks battled back from a nine-point half time deficit in the road win.

Hilbert continues to battle for a spot heading into the post-season tournament after earning their third consecutive win.  The Hawks, with five league wins, remains in a two-way tie for 5th place with Medaille (5-5) who has a two-game lag to the rest of the conference due to Covid protocols.

THE BASICS              

• Final Score: Hilbert 71 |  Penn State Behrend 70
• Location: Junker Center | Erie, Pa.
• Records: I  Hawks 9-21, 5-7 AMCC | Lions 16-5, 11-2 AMCC 

HIGHLIGHTS 

• Eric Jackson tallied 13 points, led with one steal, one block, added two rebounds and shot 5-for-6 from the floor in 21 minutes.
• Quran Briggs was the Hawks leading scorer knocking down a pair of 3's and converting 7-of-12 from the floor while Nevada Eldridge was a strong presence in the paint, establishing his career high in points (15) after hitting 70% (7-10) from the field and pulled down six rebounds. 

HOW IT HAPPENED 

• After knotting the game's score three times early, Hilbert never took a lead in the first 20 minutes of action.
• The Hawks kept it a two possesion game until the Lions knocked down a 3-pointer with at 7:08.  Five minutes later, they stretched their lead to 10 (38-28) before Briggs struck from downtown setting the 42-33 half time score.
• Hilbert, trailing by nine points after intermission, opened the second half on an 11-3 run and made it a one point game three and a half minutes later. 
• The Lions stretched it back to a five point difference before Hilbert jumped on top by five (58-53) with 9 and a half minutes on the game clock.
• The Hawks maintained the hold on the scoreboard and responded to the Lions deep shot with a hit of their own from downtown keeping it a 6-point Hilbert lead with 6:29.
• Behrend manufactured an 8-point run off a pair of 3-pointers and regained the lead (65-63) with just under five minutes to go.
• Both teams traded hoops and turnovers and after the Hawks defense created  a loose ball at midcourt,  Jackson scooped it up and fed Edward Perez who knotted the game again off an uncontested dunk at 2:28.
• After three consecutive defensive stops against Behrend, Hilbert had another chance to take the lead but they were forced into a baseline out of bounds play in front of their bench with 44-seconds remaining.  Jackson took the ball to the rim for a layup in the paint and then called a timeout with 35.9 seconds to go and the 69-67 lead.
• Behrend drilled a deep shot from the sideline lifting the Lions by one with 0.29 on the game clock and they called a timeout.
• Jackson repeated his previous drive and gave Hilbert the 71-70 lead once again with 0.05.
• Hilbert chose to foul the Behrend ball handler early in transition which forced an inbounds pass in the back court on the fan's side of the gym with 3 seconds to go.
• A second Hilbert foul at the top of the 3-point line on the inbounds pass forced another inbounds pass, now infront of Behrend's bench at 0.02. 
• The Lions threw ball to opposite 3-point line and that desperation, off balance shot with a Hilbert hand in his face forced the ball to bounce off the rim and away. 

GAME NOTES 

• Edward Perez connected on 3-of-4 from the floor (seven points) and Shaheem Ellis (9 points) led the Hawks with three assists and two steals, was second on the team in rebounding with five.
• The Hawks hit 54.4-percent from the field, against the league leaders in defensive field goal percentage and only went to the foul line seven time, sinking five.
• The Lions connected on 46.7-percent from the floor, made nine 3-pointers and converted on 5-of-8 at the foul line.
• Hilbert dominated the glass (33-32) and outscored the hosts 46-34 in the paint, though Behrend's offense is designed to attack from the 3-point line.

WHAT'S NEXT

The men's basketball team will host Medaille College Monday, February 7th at 7pm in the Hafner.  The Hawks fell in a five-point defeat to the Mavs January 26th and need a win Monday  to ensure their post-season chances down the stretch.