AMCC Men's Basketball Game of the Week:
Penn State Altoona @ Hilbert College
Saturday, December 7 at 1:00pm
Video | Live Stats

The AMCC Men's Basketball Game of the Week features Penn State Altoona at Hilbert College on Saturday afternoon.

Penn State Altoona (5-4, 2-0) enters Saturday's game having won each of its first two AMCC contests, defeating Mount Aloysius on the road and beating Pitt-Greensburg at home. The Lions' defense has been a big part of the team's early success, as they rank first in the conference in blocks per game (4.2) and defensive rebounds per game (27.9) and second in steals per game (9.0), turnovers forced per game (17.1), and opponent field goal percentage (43.0 percent). Senior forward Dwayne Jones has gotten off to an outstanding start to the season, as he leads the AMCC in rebounds (87), steals (27), steals per game (3.0), blocks (22), and blocks per game (2.4) while ranking second in field goals made (60), points scored (158), and rebounds per game (9.7). Meanwhile, freshman guard Kal-El Gentles is second in the league in assists (32) while averaging 11.7 points per game, and junior guard Kaden Claar is ninth in the conference in three-pointers made (13) and is scoring 10.7 points per game. 

Hilbert (7-1, 1-0) is off to the program's fastest start since the 2015-16 season. They swept four Empire 8 opponents last month and opened the AMCC portion of their schedule with a 49-point victory  at Alfred State this week. The Hawks feature a very capable inside/out combination with multiple weapons who have found their confidence during their six-game win streak.

Senior Shaheem Ellis (19 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.6 assists per game) quarterbacks the pace, leading the conference in assists and made 3-pointers while ranking second in the league in Assists/TO. Quran Briggs has elevated his game, averaging 21 points per game over the last four contests and sophomore F Larry Morse averages a double-double of 15 pt, 10 rebounds per game.  The Hawks get a big lift from senior G Nathan Moore who can be deadly outside the arc  (47.5% 3FG) and senior F Ronnie Lewis does a little bit of everything  (6 points, 5 rebounds, 4 blocks per game) making Hilbert a very challenging opponent to compete against.