ALTOONA, Pa. – Derrek Carman and Nicholas Parucki shot better than 50% from the floor and 81% from the foul line, but the Hilbert College men's basketball team surrendered a last-second loss to Penn State Altoona in AMCC action tonight.

Carman led the Hawks with 20 points for his third consecutive 18+ point performance and Parucki added 19 points but was one-rebound shy of posting a double-double.

Jalen Smith poured-in 12 points and added four assists and five steals while Hunter Martineau scored 11 points to go along with three assists and four steals.

Altoona shot better than 47% from the floor and grabbed 43 rebounds.  The Hawks connected on 41% of the field goal attempts and pulled down 36 rebounds.

Hilbert and Altoona traded baskets early in the game setting a 6-6 score less than three minutes into play.  Hilbert slowly crept away and built their largest lead of the game, (31-18) with 5:02 to go in the first half.  The Hawks held onto the double-digit lead for the next three and a half minutes until Altoona went on a 7-0 run to trail 37-31 by intermission.

Derrek Carman and Nicholas Parucki controlled the paint for Hilbert with a combined 13 rebound and 23 point effort.

Neither team found their shooting touch from down town as they each were blanked from deep. 

For the first 9 minutes of the second half, Hilbert maintained their offensive hold over the Lions.  Altoona knocked down back-to-back 3's to force a 57-57 score at 10:53.

Jalen Smith connected for a deep three, before Joseph Braniecki , Parucki and Kirkland Ottey went 6-for-6 at the foul line.  Ottey put an exclamation point on the spurt with a three-pointer stretching Hilbert back to a 71-61 lead at 7:23.

Ottey hit another shot from deep and David Arlaud added a freebie, jumping the Hawks ahead by 11 points with 3:22 left.

Hilbert closed the game going 7-for-10 from the foul line as the Lions were roaring back. 

As the Hawks were scoreless from the field, Altoona found their shooting touch.  A made three-pointer was followed by free throws which knotted the game at 83-83. The Lions went 1-for-2 with three seconds remaining and held on for the one-point, come-from behind 84-83 victory.

Hilbert returns to AMCC action this week when they travel to Medaille December 7 in an 8pm Buffalo Cup contest.