HAMBURG, N.Y. – Hilbert Men's Basketball escaped with a hard-fought 74–72 victory over visiting Keuka College on Saturday afternoon at the Brad Hafner Recreation Center, pushing their early-season record to 5–1.

In a game that featured 13 lead changes and 11 ties, Hilbert delivered one of its most balanced efforts of the season, with five players scoring seven or more points and eight different Hawks recording a field goal.

Ari Jones paced Hilbert with 15 points, knocking down a pair of threes and converting 3-of-4 at the line. Larry Morse and Jaden Mitchell added 14 points each, with Mitchell shooting an efficient 4-of-5 from deep.

Jayden Montgomery provided the steady hand at the controls, finishing with a game-high 10 assists to go along with 6 points and 6 rebounds, helping Hilbert maintain composure during multiple second-half runs by Keuka.

Hilbert held a one-point lead at the break (32-31) after recording their lowest shooting performance from the floor, beyond the arc and especially from the foul line.

The pace picked up after intermission with both teams stretching their legs in transition. The Hawks recorded eight points while the Wolves sprinted to 14 points off fast break runs in the second half.

Kevin Alvarado's make a the charity stripe started a 6-point run that lifted the Hawks to their largest lead, 53-44, with just under 10 minutes remaining.  The Wolves inched back, took a 65-63 lead at 3:05 after shifting to zone on defense and finishing at the rim at the other end of the floor.

Jaden Mitchell hit back-to-back 3-pointers before Larry Morse converted a 3-point play to knot the game at 72-72 with 1:29 on the clock.

Keuka had two looks  in two different possessions, but the game ended with a defensive rebound by Ari Jones who got the ball upcourt quickly to Sonny Williams who fed Larry Morse in the paint.  Morse released the ball just before the horn went off and, after an official's review, the shot counted.

Hilbert shot 53.3% in the second half generating quality looks with strong ball movement and decisive half-court execution.

Keuka (2–4) was led by Lamar Lovelace, who poured in 23 points on 8-of-17 shooting. Makya Morrison contributed 13 points and eight rebounds, while Kaleb Nutifafa added 8 points and seven boards.

The Wolves controlled the paint with 44 total rebounds and 46 points inside, but Hilbert countered with timely perimeter shooting, strong defensive possessions down the stretch, and a slight edge in points off turnovers (13–12).

Key Team Notes

• Hilbert finished 8-of-23 from three (34.8%) and assisted on 17 of its 27 made field goals.
• The Hawks' bench contributed 18 points, including a spark from Ne'Sean Fowlks (7 points, 4 rebounds, 1 steal).
• Hilbert forced 12 turnovers and recorded 9 steals, highlighted by Montgomery's and Jones' active defensive efforts.
• The Hawks converted only 12-of-24 attempts at the foul line.

Up Next

Hilbert returns to action next week with another home game before the Thanksgiving break.  The Hawks will face 2-3 Alfred University in a 7:00 pm tip November 25^th.