HAMBURG, NY – Hilbert College Women's Basketball erased a six-point halftime deficit with a dominant third quarter to secure a 57-52 Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) victory over Pitt-Bradford on Wednesday evening inside the Hafner Recreation Center.

With the victory, the Hawks clinched a spot in the AMCC postseason tournament.

Hilbert (4-11 in the AMCC) used a 24-point third period to flip the momentum and earn its fourth conference win of the season, and the season sweep of the Panthers.

Pitt-Bradford came out strong in the opening quarter, racing to a 12-0 lead before Hilbert found its rhythm. A pair of three-pointers from Kayla Johnson helped the Hawks close the gap, but the visitors held a 14-8 advantage after one.

The Panthers extended their lead to as many as nine points in the second quarter. Johnson knocked down another triple, Mia Aldaya connected from deep, and Learsi Sabala, Jayla Jackson and Bianca Iten added key baskets inside to keep Hilbert within striking distance. Despite trimming the deficit to three late in the frame, Hilbert entered halftime trailing 27-22.

The game turned in the third quarter as the Hawks caught fire offensively, fueled by six offensive rebounds in the frame. Hilbert shot 10-of-20 (50 percent) from the field in the quarter and used threes from Johnson (two) and Aldaya to flip the game's momentum.

Hilbert ended the quarter on a 14-0 run, started by six straight points from Caycee Scott and capped off by a Hailey Alba layup at the buzzer to send the Hawks into the final frame up 46-40. Iten provided three points and a trio of crucial offensive boards during the stretch, while Johnson connected on one of her game-high five three-pointers in this span.

Hilbert used buckets from Scott and Iten early in the final frame to extend the lead to ten points, but the visitors slowly clawed their way back into the contest, cutting the lead to 54-52 with less than five minutes remaining. The Hawks would shut down the Panthers the rest of the way, keeping Pitt-Bradford off the scoreboard across the game's final 4:37. Aldaya's third three-pointer of the game, after a three offensive rebound possession would extend the lead to five for the Hawks and put the game away, sealing the AMCC victory.

Johnson led the way for Hilbert, contributing a game-high 17 points to go along with seven assists and six rebounds. Iten joined Johnson in double figures with eleven points, while pulling down a game-high 15 boards, including seven on the offensive glass. Sabala pulled down 12 rebounds while Scott produced eight points and nine rebounds off the bench.

UP NEXT:
The Hawks wrap up AMCC regular season play on Saturday with a trip to Carlow before the team prepares for round one of the playoffs next week.