HAMBURG, N.Y.  – After hitting only 8-of-17 from the free throw line in the first half, the Hilbert College men's basketball team recovered with a 15-of-17 second half performance to outlast Franciscan University, 74-65. 

Hilbert improved to 4-1 in Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference action and remained #2 in league rankings only trailing the undefeated Penn State Behrend Lions (3-0) who will battle Pitt-Greensburg tomorrow.

Masia Phillips led the Hawks with 15 points and added four assists.  Hunter Martineau trailed behind in points (14) but earned a double-double with a game-highs 10 rebounds and assists (6).

Joseph Braniecki added 10 points, seven rebounds and earned game-high honors with three steals.

Franciscan scored the game's first bucket and continued to score from the field while Hilbert struggled at the foul line.  The Barons kept the Hawks at bay always maintaining the lead through three tied-score situations.

At 14:04, Ryan Hogan's long ball cut the deficit to one point and Martineau's full court driving layup lifted Hilbert to their first lead in the game, 13-12.  Braniecki went 1-for-1 at the line and Antonio Alvarez converted his offensive rebound into two more points before Hogan hit his second three-pointer which gave Hilbert their largest lead, 19-14, at 11:46.

Franciscan stayed in the game, forcing another knotted score just 80-seconds later yet Hilbert stretched their lead back to six points 25-19 after Charles Lamar combined a lay-up with a free throw. 

After the Barons cut the difference back to three points, Hilbert committed back-to-back turnovers which opened the door for the Barons who flipped the lead back in their favor (33-32) but only briefly as Braniecki hit a jumper before intermission.

Hilbert used a balanced offensive attack with five different players notching four points or more, with Hogan and Phillips leading with six points by the break. 

But six different players shared the blame at the foul line, as the Hawks earned 17 attempts, converted only eight, while Franciscan only earned three freebies (two makes).  Anthony Buisch went 2-for-2 as a bright spot with Hilbert leading 34-33 at the break.

The teams played through 10-lead changes and after battling through a sixth tied score (63-63 at 3:32), Hilbert remained in control the rest of the way.   

Martineau put the Hawks up by six (69-63) after three successful trips to the foul line.  Martineau and Braniecki closed the game with another 4-for-4 run which kept Hilbert on top, 74-65.

Hilbert (6-3) returns to action next week when they travel to Waynesburg for a Tuesday, December 19 game south of Pittsburgh, Pa.  The Hawks will travel to Pitt-Greensburg January 6 before they return to Hamburg for a non-conference match against Empire 8 foe, Nazareth College January 8.
 
Be sure to stay up-to-date on all your Hilbert Hawks scores and awards by following @HilbertAthletic on Twitter and by liking the "Hilbert College Athletics" Facebook page.  Additionally fans of the Hawks who have an Apple device can receive push notification from the newly created Hilbert College Hawks iOS SIDEARM mobile App which can be found in the Apple Store and ITunes.