HAMBURG, N.Y. – Hilbert College Women's Basketball hung around with Penn State Behrend the entire first half, but the Lions powered through a big third quarter as they captured a 70-36 AMCC victory in the Hafner Recreation Center.
 
The Lions (13-2) secured the second seed in the postseason tournament in two weeks while putting Hilbert (4-11) in a must win-out to have a chance at a sixth seed.
 
HIGHLIGHTS
 
Kelsey Schlagenhauf posted a team-best 12 points, just one more ahead of Alesia Hamm who added 12 rebounds.
 
Avery Cusack battled right off the tip, scoring the game's first points off of pure hustle and desire, and tossed in seven points, hitting 3-of-4 shots from the field.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED 

• After Cusack scored the opening bucket off a Maria Spinelli forward tip, the Lions went on an 11-0 run before Cusack knocked down a 3-pointer at 6:21.   Schlagenhauf pulled off a three-point play, pulling the Hawks into a five-point game, and Hamm secured an offensive rebound put-back with a scored with seconds left in the quarter, setting the 17-12 margin heading into the second session.
• Spinelli rimmed in a turnaround in the paint and Schlagenhauf finished an in bounds pass from Cusack which made it a one-point game (17-16) with 7:29 on the clock.  Behrend manufactured a run and built an 11-point lead twice before settling into the 29-18 margin at half time.
• Schlagenhauf scored all the Hawks points in the third quarter as the Lions earned 16 points off turnovers with 12 of them in the paint.
• Hilbert continued to face full court pressure until five minutes left in the fourth quarter.  The Hawks traded buckets with Penn State Behrend until the final horn. Hilbert outscored the Lions 15-14 in the final ten minutes of the game.

GAME NOTES
 
Hilbert finished the game hitting 28.8% from the field and only went to the foul line nine times, hitting just five of their feebies.

The Hawks secured 10 offensive rebounds and scored 26 points in the paint while the Lions matched offensive rebounds but scored 30 points in the paint, many off transition scores.
 
UP NEXT

Hilbert returns to Pennsylvania this weekend when they travel with the men's team for another AMCC double header.  The Hawks will battle the Bobcats from Greensburg February 10th with the 1pm women's tip.