HAMBURG, N.Y. – The Hilbert College women's basketball team opened the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference portion of their schedule with a convincing 68-64 road win at Pitt-Bradford tonight.

The last time Hilbert defeated Bradford in women's basketball was January 18, 2005 when the Hawks took a 65-59 victory in the program's first season competing in the AMCC league.  

Hilbert, the preseason #7 pick, upset the #2 Panthers and the Preseason Player of the Year player on their home court and improved to 3-3 overall while jumping to the top of the pack at 1-0.   Bradford dropped to 1-3 and 0-1 after the loss.

Two Hawks posted double-doubles tonight with Katelyn Proy earning her third of the season.  The 6-2 forward scored 13 points and grabbed 13 rebounds while adding three blocks.  Kelsi Ebert gathered her second consecutive double-digit assists game as she was credited with 10 assists and 13 points.

Ashley Repine was one rebound shy of a d-d having put together a 18 point, 9 rebound (3 blocks) effort and Emily Gawlak earned game-high scoring honors with 23 points.

Gawlak posted the game's first points after three minutes of scoreless action.  Ebert pulled a defensive rebound off the glass and earned her first assist of the game when Gawlak converted a break-away layup at 7:00.  Bradford scored back-to-back buckets before each team traded scores the rest of the quarter.  Ebert and Gawlak struck from downtown before the quarter break lifting Hilbert by one, 12-11.

Repine gave Hilbert their first 3-point lead which they maintained for almost three minutes in the second session. With the score knotted at 22-all at 4:16, neither team found their touch until Bradford closed the half with a 7-0 run.

Hilbert struggled from the floor, hitting on 27.6% of their field goals and 40% from the charity stripe.  They were able to keep the game close by limiting the hosts to zero free throw attempts after 20 minutes of action.

Bradford stretched their 29-22 halftime lead to an 11-point lead but Hilbert battled back.  Repine strung together nine straight points before Gawlak lifted Hilbert back in front (39-38).  Ebert then went 2-for-2 from the line building a 3-point lead.  Bradford knotted the game at 42-42 before the start of the fourth quarter.

Proy started the scoring in the final period and kept Hilbert in charge for the first 3 and a half minutes.  The Panthers and Hawks then took turns leading until Bradford hit a long ball which gave the hosts a 55-52 lead at 4:44.  Gawlak netted a layup before Bradford hit another 3-pointer now taking a 58-54 lead less than sixty seconds later.

The Hawks responded with seven straight points.  Hilbert shut down the Panthers offense as they took a 62-58 lead with 1:19 remaining.  Then things got exciting.

Ebert knocked down two important free throws and Proy went 1-for-2 from the line which stretched the Hilbert lead back to five points. The AMCC Preseason Player of the Year, Ali Rinfrette grabbed the defensive rebound off Proy's missed second free throw and then quickly sank a long 3-pointer setting a 65-64 score with 0:05 seconds left. 

Abbey Monahan and Proy went 3-for-4 down the stretch as Bradford fouled to stop the clock.  The Panther's 3-point misfire did not count and more importantly, it wouldn't have impacted the final result.

Hilbert went 16-of-27 from the floor and their 59.3 shooting percentage as well as their 21-14 edge on the glass helped them secure the victory.

Hilbert returns to action this weekend when they host Penn State Altoona December 2 at 3pm in another AMCC double header with the men's teams.

Be sure to stay up-to-date on all your Hilbert Hawk 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 notifications from the newly created Hilbert College Hawks IOS SIDEARM Mobile App which can be found in the Apple Store and ITunes.