ERIE, Pa. – The Hilbert College Men's Basketball team suffered a 77-69 defeat at Penn State Behrend tonight, dropping their first Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference game in five tries.
 
Hilbert moved to 4-1 in league play while the Lions improved to 3-2. 
 
Behrend made one more shot from the field (28-27), and scored one fewer free throw than the Hawks (8-9) but won the game on the 3-ball, hitting seven more shots from beyond the arc as they earned the eight-point win.
 
HIGHLIGHTS

Edward Perez earned his fourth double-double of the season, paring 21 points and 10 rebounds in 35 minutes of action.  Shaheem Ellis (11) and Jahmel Demery (10) were the other two Hawks to net double digits in points.
 
Eric Jackson led the Hawks with three steals while adding eight points, and seven rebounds
 
HOW IT HAPPENED 

• Behrend never trailed in the first half though Quran Briggs' 3-pointer at 18:19 pulled the Hawks within one point (5-6).
• The Lions hit back-to-back threes and held a 7-point lead before Briggs and Perez pulled Hilbert back to a 14-13 score five minutes into the game.
• Behrend held a 26-16 advantage then Ellis drilled a deep shot and Perez scored in the paint to slice it back to five point margin.
• The Hawks trailed 30-25 but gave up three buckets to the Lions before Perez finished an And 1 play to making it a 36-27 score at the break.
• Behrend opened the second half hitting four 3-pointers of their first six baskets scored to break open a 16-point spread (52-36) with 14:28 left in the game.
• Hilbert sliced the difference to eight points thanks to Perez and Demery's work in the lane yet the Lions struck from deep again which built a double digit difference with 7:22 to go.
• Ellis connected beyond the arc and followed that make up with a trip to the foul line where he went 2-for-3 after getting fouled on his next trip down the floor.
• Nevada Eldridge scored off his offensive rebound and inched the Hawks back to a six-point game (62-56) with just over six minutes left.
• The Lions went back up by 12 two minutes later and had to withstand the Hilbert rally – Perez in the paint, Ellis from beyond the 3-point line and Jackson in the lane, which made it a 68-63 score with just over two minutes left in regulation.
• The Lions went 7-for-8 at the foul line down the stretch to pull out the win.

GAME NOTES 

• After giving up 16 points in the paint to the Lions in the first half, the Hawks outscored Behrend 26-10 in the lane in the final 20 minutes.
• Hilbert held Penn State Behrend to 45.9% from the floor and limited their time at the foul line as they made 8-of-11 shots.
• The Hawks shot 45.8% from the field, made 6-of-14 3-pointers and went 9-for-13 from the charity stripe.  

UP NEXT

Hilbert (7-8, 4-1 AMCC) is set to host the AMCC Men's Basketball Game of the Week against the undefeated Redhawks from La Roche University this Saturday, January 21 at 1:00 pm in the Hafner Recreation Center.