HAMBURG, NY – Jerame Owens' 23 points led three Hawks to double-digit scoring as the Hilbert College men's basketball team toughed out an 86-73 AMCC victory over D'Youville College to improve to 4-0 in the league.  The 1-3 Spartans battled defensively but didn't have enough fire-power to take down the Hawks.

Juan Rosales and Jon Gemerek each collected 13 points to lead the 3-7 Spartans on the road.

The Hawks scored 11 extra points off D'Youville's turnovers and held a 12-6 advantage with fast break points.  Both teams played even in the paint (44-42 in favor of the hosts) and 14-13 on 2nd chance points edged in D'Youville corner. 

The Spartans' bench doubled Hilbert's reserves' production (31-15) but the Hawks coaching staff went with four guys who played 30-minutes or more.

Besides Owens 23 tallies, Sean Weisansal wove his way to the basket and extended for 22 points which he gathered off his three steals.  Jalen Smith connected for 19 points with only three of his seven makes behind the line. 

Owens became the program's All Time Block leader when the deflected Jake Socha jumper at 8:27 in the first half.  He added an additional one later to finish with a career total of 130 blocks ….. and counting.

Ryan Bradt worked for eight rebounds in the paint and added eight points, one block and a steal in 20 minutes.

Both teams traded scores the first eight minutes of action, and when Jerame Owens converted a Kyle Kline pass into two points, he knotted the game for the final time at 14-14.  Owens then sank the 'and-one' to give Hilbert an edge which they never relinquished. 

It wasn't until Sean Weisansal drove the lane for a lay-up at 5:26 that the Hawks built a 10-point lead in the first half.  But Gemerek's three-point play cut the difference to seven points just before half time.

Hilbert stretched their lead back to 47-38 just after the start of the second half.   D'Youville then went on a tear and sliced the difference to two points (51-49) at 16:01.  Hilbert responded with another lay-up and didn't allow the Spartans any closer the rest of the second half. 

The Hawks rallied and padded points back on the score board.  By 8:35 it was an 11-point game and it stayed that way until the final horn.

Malique McCoy (five) and Kirkland Ottey (four) shared the ball well and their extra pass found the open man for easy points. 

With the win, and coupling it with the women's victory later in the night, the Hawks basketball programs have swept both their local AMCC opponents for the first time since 2004-05 season.  The Hawks return to action January 6 when they host Pitt-Bradford in a 6pm tip.