HAMBURG, N.Y. – Hilbert College Men's Basketball battled back from a 15-point halftime deficit and trimmed the margin to six points in the closing minute, but Springfield held on for an 83-75 victory in the championship game of the Hawks vs. Hunger Tip-Off Tournament on Saturday afternoon inside the Brad Hafner Recreation Center.
The Hawks got off to a strong start, scoring the first five points of the game on baskets from
Jaden Mitchell and
Jayden Montgomery. After the teams traded baskets through the opening minutes, Springfield began to gain control midway through the first half. The Pride used a combination of second-chance opportunities and transition baskets to put together a 19-3 run, turning a one-point game into a double-digit advantage.
Hilbert stayed within striking distance thanks to the play of
Ari Jones, who scored 15 first-half points, and a late defensive surge that forced consecutive Springfield turnovers in the final minute. The Hawks closed the half on a 9-2 run, highlighted by baskets from
Sammy Platt, Mitchell, and Montgomery, to cut the deficit to 40-32 at the break.
Springfield answered quickly coming out of halftime, scoring 21 of the first 28 points of the second half to push the lead to 61-39 with 12:50 remaining. The Pride shot better than 50 percent from the floor for the game and continued to capitalize inside, finishing with 42 points in the paint and 17 second-chance points.
Despite the deficit, Hilbert continued to battle. The Hawks slowly chipped away behind Jones and contributions from the bench. A three-pointer from
Ralph Batista, baskets from
Kevin Alvarado and
Rudy Hyppolite, and aggressive drives by Jones helped cut the margin to 68-54 with just over five minutes to play.
The Hawks made one final push in the closing minute. Consecutive steals led to transition baskets by Mitchell and Jones, trimming the deficit to 77-70 with 57 seconds remaining. After Springfield converted free throws, Hilbert again answered to pull within six points at 81-75 with 20 seconds left. The Pride sealed the outcome at the foul line over the closing seconds to secure the tournament championship.
Jones led Hilbert with 26 points and added three rebounds while shooting 9-for-10 from the free-throw line. Following the conclusion of the game, Jones was named to the Hawks vs Hunger All-Tournament Team.
Mitchell contributed 13 points and four rebounds, while
Sonny Williams provided a spark off the bench with 10 points, including a pair of first-half three-pointers that helped keep the Hawks within striking distance.
Montgomery filled the stat sheet with nine assists and three steals, while Platt added seven points, four rebounds, and an assist. Hilbert received 27 points from its bench and converted 20-of-23 free-throw attempts.
As a team, the Hawks shot 41.7 percent from the floor and scored 38 points in the paint. Hilbert also forced 19 Springfield turnovers and converted them into 19 points.
UP NEXT:
The team stays at home for a Wednesday evening non-conference matchup with Fredonia inside the Hafner Recreation Center beginning at 5 pm.
