HAMBURG, N.Y. – The Hilbert College Men's Basketball Team had the look they wanted at the end of the game which could have forced overtime, but the ball bounced off the rim into a defensive player's hands setting up the 74-69 Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference loss to La Roche University tonight.
 
The Hawks rallied from a 10-point deficit with ten minutes left in the second half, but their late-game rally came up short.
 
Hilbert (10-11) moved to 6-8 in the AMCC standings and sit in a two-way tie for 7th place while La Roche (12-9) maintained their first place ranking after picking up the win today.
 
Edward Perez moved into 10th place in the men's basketball all time list with 504 career rebounds and moved up to 6th place in offensive rebounds (201) after only three seasons of competition.
 
HIGHLIGHTS
 
Edward Perez led with 23 points, hitting 10-of-18 from the field and 3-of-4 at the foul line, also led the Hawks with nine rebounds in 35 minutes of intense action.
 
Quran Briggs tossed in 15 points (4-for-4 free throws) and was credited with eight rebounds while Justin Poumpey and Shaheem Ellis reached double figure points with 11 and 10 respectively.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED 

• Hilbert was forced to play catch up the entire first half, trailing by double digit points with over ten minutes of action played.  The Redhawks went up 34-23 at 6:29 before the Hawks made an 8-0 run setting the 34-31 score less than two minutes later. Briggs connected from downtown, Perez scored twice in the lane, the second as part of a three-point play.  La Roche stretched their advantage back to two possessions after hitting a 3-pointer and took a 43-37 lead to the locker room.
• Five minutes into the second half, the Hawks found themselves down 55-43 after the Redhawks started to push the pace.  The Hawks chipped away, but momentum shifts allowed the red and black to build a 12-point lead at 10:26. 
• Perez went on an 11-point run, pulling Hilbert into a 3-point game (63-60) with just six minutes left.  After two scoreless minutes, La Roach converted an offensive rebound into two points and then slammed a dunk after a timeout to take a 67-61 lead with 2:40 to go. 
• Perez continued to feel it, as he started another Hilbert run.  Briggs scored in the paint, Justin Poumpey made a steal at midcourt that led to Shaheem Ellis going to the free throw line for two makes. And Briggs went coast-to-coast for another make at the rim setting the 71-69 score.  La Roche made only one free throw, and with five seconds on the clock, the Hawks had their shot to force a 72-72 score but didn't secure the offensive rebound in the loss.

GAME NOTES
 
Both teams scored 28 baskets during the game, but La Roche reached from downtown eight times while Hilbert hit only twice. 
Neither team lived at the foul line with Hilbert scoring 11-of-13 and La Roche going 10-for-11.
La Roche finished with 16 offensive rebounds which they converted into 21 second chance points.
Hilbert's 43.1% field goal percentage was better than the Redhawks 40.0% but it came down shooting percentages from beyond the arc.
 
UP NEXT

Hilbert returns to action for another tough match-up this coming week when they travel to second-ranked Penn State Behrend Lions (9-4) on Wednesday, February 7th for a 7pm in Erie, Pa.