HAMBURG, N.Y. – Hilbert College Men's Basketball needed today's 83-77 non-conference victory over SUNY Canton to get back into the basketball-state of mind after a two-week holiday break.
 
Coach Rob deGrandpre was happy with the win. "We had a solid four days of preparation, so it was great to get back in the win column after a lengthy break, and I thought our veteran players made some big plays late in the game to get us the lead again." He continued, "and obviously making some huge free throws in the closing minutes was a contributing factor."
 
The Hawks were even with the Roos after 20-minutes but used a 17-7 run over the final four minutes to snap their two-game losing streak at the end of December.
 
Hilbert (2-1 AMCC) improved to 9-3 overall after going 7-2 against non-Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference opponents while SUNY Canton dropped to 0-8 overall and 0-1 in SUYAC action.
 
HIGHLIGHTS
 
Shaheem Ellis led all scorers with 26 points which marked his seventh game this season hitting above 20 points. He led the Hawks with seven assists, three steals and went 8-for-8 at the foul line while hitting 4-of-8 beyond the arc.
 
Three other Hawks hit double digit figure scoring with Quran Briggs notching 12 points and six rebounds as Luke Rybicki, who went 3-for-4 in 3-pointers while making both free throws, matched Larry Morse, who battled foul trouble for the first time this season, by scoring 11 points.
 
Austin Boies came off the bench and lifted the Hawks with seven big rebounds and three assists.  
 
HOW IT HAPPENED 

• Canton, after opening the game with a 9-4 lead scoring at will in the paint, forced a Hilbert timeout just 3.5 minutes into the game.
• The Roos, who carried a 21.9% 3-point field goal conversion rate into the game, knocked down three 3's as they extended their lead to 24-15 at 8:55.
• Ellis's deep hit plus Rybicki's two FT and Malachi Hartley's tip-in score pulled the Hawks back to a two-point deficit, but Morse's scoring in the paint gave Hilbert their first lead in the game and finished the Hawks 10-point run (25-24 at 6:19).
• Rybicki drilled two more 3-pointers and Brigg's tip-in score in the paint gave the Hawks an 8-point advantage with 4:08 left.
• The Roos finished the first half hitting two more shots beyond the arc and set the 38-38 score at the break.
• The game was up for grabs the final 20 minutes as each team took 10 lead changes and forced 10 tied score situations.
• SUNY Canton continued to feel their rhythm beyond the arc as they struck five more 3-pointers while the Hawks made only four.
• Ellis' 3-point make created a 71-all score with 3:05 remaining before the Hawks began their repeated walks to the foul line at the end of the game.
• Sonny Williams set final tie score (73-73) before Ellis went 4-for-4 without the clock moving. Briggs converted a Boies pass into two points in the paint and Ronnie Lewis and Briggs each scored from the foul line before the clock hit zero.  

GAME NOTES 

• "I'm extremely proud of the guys that came in off the bench.  We received a number of contributions, and we needed them all," said deGrandpre.
• Sonny Williams came off the bench and went 2-for-2 from the floor and foul line each to add six points to the Hawks' scoring efforts.
• Hilbert won the battle on the boards (37-35), finished the game hitting 43.5% from the floor, 42.9% (9-21) from the 3-point line and 76.9% (20-26) from the foul line.
• SUNY Canton finished hitting 43.6% from the floor, a blistering 40.0% (12-30) beyond the arc, and hit 77.3% (17-22) from the charity stripe.
• Hilbert almost doubled the Roos (32-18) in points in the paint and held a 17-9 advantage in 2nd chance points. 

UP NEXT
 
Hilbert returns to AMCC action this Saturday when they travel to Pittsburgh to battle Carlow University in a 2:00 pm tip inside the Donahue Pavilion on Oakland Catholic High School's campus.