Bradford, Pa. – The Hilbert men's basketball team improved to 5-1 overall, including 2-0 in AMCC play after defeating the Pitt-Bradford Panthers 81-78. 

THE BASICS

• Final Score: Hilbert 81 Pitt-Bradford 78
• Location: KOA Arena, University of Pittsburgh At Bradford 6pm
• Records: Hilbert 5-1 (2-0 AMCC) | Pitt-Bradford 1-3 (0-1 AMCC)

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Both teams came out of the gate locked in defensively, resulting in a mere 6-6 tie through 6:30 of game action.
• From there, Hilbert went on a 10-0 run which included a pair of threes on back to back possessions by Ryan Hogan and Ant Moynihan to jump out to a 16-6 advantage. 
• The Hawks continued their steady play from there, resulting in a 40-30 lead with just 1:50 remaining in the half, before the Panthers went on an 8-2 run of their own to head into the intermission down 42-38.
• Hilbert came back on the floor hot offensively, extending the lead to 51-42 with 16:37 to go after a Masia Phillips 3-point make.
• The Hawks maintained a nine point lead over the next six minutes of play before the Panthers went on a 12-4 run to make it a 66-65 game with just six minutes remaining on the clock.
• Just when you could feel the momentum begin to swing in the Panthers favor, Lazar Jovanovich knocked down a key jump shot, followed by Phillips and Hunter Martineau, to take the momentum back and prevent the Panthers from taking a late game lead.  
• Pitt-Bradford continued to show fight, tying the game at 74 with less than two minutes to go, before Hogan hit a huge go -ahead 3-pointer to take a 77-74 lead with just 1:11 remaining in the game. After a couple of key defensive stops, Phillips and Hogan hit some key free throws in the final minute to seal the victory.
• Hilbert had four players in double figures, led by Phillips with 20. Jovanovich finished just a point away from a double double after ripping down a career-high 11 boards, while Martineau dished out a team-best 5 assists.
• Justin Kusiappouh led the Pitt-Bradford offense with a double double of his own, leading the Panthers in both points (24) and rebounds (13). Gavin Boggs finished with a team-high 5 assists.

GAME NOTES

• Hilbert held a 48-34 advantage on the glass, including a lopsided 18-4 advantage in offensive boards, resulting in 16 second chance points, as opposed to just 4 second chance points for the Panthers.
• Pitt-Bradford's bench played a key role in keeping the Panthers in the game, as they outscored the Hilbert bench 53-22.
• The Hawks were able to overcome a rough shooting night as they finished 28 of 73 (38.4%) from the floor, including 6 of 18 (33.3%) from 3-point range while going 19 of 25 (76.0%) from the free throw line.   
• The Panthers shot 27 of 60 (45.0%) from the floor, including 8 of 15 from the 3-point line (53.3%), while shooting 16 of 19 (84.2%) from the charity stripe.  

WHAT'S NEXT

The Hilbert men's basketball team heads home for Thanksgiving before hitting the road on Saturday for a non-conference tilt at Elmira College beginning at 4pm.

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