PITTSBURGH, Pa. –  The Hilbert College women's basketball team outlasted a fierce D'Youville College rally in the third quarter and claimed a 74-64 victory in the second semifinal game of the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference Championship Tournament being played in the Kerr Center at La Roche University.
 
The No. 2 Hawks broke the 2-game win-streak that their cross-town rivals, No. 3 D'Youville established this winter in league action.
 
Hilbert advances to the Title Game tomorrow against No. 1 La Roche, who earned a 60-54 victory over No. 4 Pitt-Greensburg earlier tonight.
 
The Hawks (20-6) split with the Redhawks (19-6) during the season and were one of only two teams to defeat the tourney hosts this year. 
 
The 2020 Championship game also marks the first time Hilbert, the 2018 and 2019 AMCC champs, will battle the previous seven-time conference champs.

THE BASICS              

• Final Score:  Hilbert  74 | D'Youville 64
• Location: Kerr Fitness Center, La Roche University 
• Records: Hilbert 20-6 | D'Youville 18-9

HIGHLIGHTS

Four Hilbert players posted double figure points, led by freshman Macy Kisner.  The rookie earned a double-double in her first championship run, pairing 17 points with 12 rebounds.  She dominated the offensive glass clearing a game high seven caroms.  Kisner also led with three assists, two block shots and went 7-for-8 at the foul line.
 
Seniors Taylor Corts and Emily Gawlak were tough in the back court, scoring 16 and 14 respectively.  Corts was a perfect 5-of-5 at the charity stripe, finished with three steals, five rebounds and a huge blocked shot while Gawlak swiped four steals and never left the floor while sprinting for scores in the lane.
 
Senior Ashley Repine was one point shy of another double-double after grabbing 11 rebounds.  She too dominated the offensive glass collecting five falling balls. 
 
Freshman Ashley Schroeder gave another strong performance  scoring 13 points with a 6-for-7 effort at the foul line.  Senior Demi Battin knocked in a timely 3-point bucket and played great defense on the perimeter checking the Spartans.  Sophomore Emma Fredo played bigger than her height and earned three rebounds and moved without the ball finding a wide-open look in the lane for two.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Hawks played with confidence and a step quicker than the Spartans in the first half.
• Hilbert connected on 42.4-percent from the floor but hit only 1-of-8 from beyond the arc.  They manufactured a 10-point lead by intermission thanks mainly in part to the extra hustle on the boards and strong defensive pressure applied to the Spartans.
• Hilbert was outrebounded by five (22-17) but earned eight offensive boards which they turned into 13 second-chance points.
• The Hawks were credited with seven steals and collected 14 points off the 12 Spartan turnovers.
• D'Youville got on the scoreboard first but Ashley Repine's 3-point play lifted Hilbert 3-1 with less than 30-seconds off the clock.
• The Spartans went on a 7-0 run yet three minutes later, Hilbert regained the lead off a Macy Kisner lefty layup (11-10).
• D'Youville knocked down a 3-pointer flipping the favor back to the #3 seed for the last time in the half.
• Kisner made a pair at the foul line and Gawlak closed the first quarter with six points, the final at the buzzer which built a 22-15 nod towards the Hawks.
• Gawlak earned another put-back to start the second quarter for a nine-point spread and Taylor Corts made a pair at the foul line for their first 10-point lead at 7:16.
• Corts responded again off an O Board put-back lifting Hilbert 32-20 at 6:03.
• Both teams traded hoops to close out the quarter for a 10-point margin.
• D'Youville came out of the locker room with a purpose and forced the pace in the third quarter.
• Ashley Schroeder tossed in Hilbert's five straight points after intermission while D'Youville opened the second half on an 11-5 run and forced a Hilbert timeout at 5:52.
• Hilbert committed four unforced turnovers in the first four minutes of half which is where the tides changed as the Spartans caught the Hawks off balance.
• Kisner broke D'Youville's 16-5 run at 4:19 and pulled Hilbert within one – 44-45.
• Corts drilled a pair from the foul line to regain the lead and great weakside defensive rotation/steal  in the lane by Gawlak gave her another coast-to-coast score.
• Both teams traded makes at the charity strip and buckets in the lane. which set up a 52-52 push heading into the final quarter.   Corts came up with a big steal off the inbounds pass under Hilbert's hoop but got no love from the officials as she attempted a last-second shot before the start of the 4th quarter.
• D'Youville forced two ties, took the lead only once as Hilbert maintained their hold in the final session.
• Corts drilled a 3-pointer at 5:59 which swung the momentum back to Hilbert and started their final run to the finish.
• Kisner and Repine kept Hilbert alive on offensive boards and put D'Youville in foul trouble.
• Kisner found Fredo in lane after grabbing another offensive rebound and then Schroeder's deep hit extended their advantage to seven points again (65-58).
• D'Youville did not go away until Corts found room on a baseline penetration for a short jumper.  As she was busy collecting herself off the floor, Gawlak snuck in a quick steal on the in-bounds pass and lifted Hilbert (70-62) with 1:32.
• Just after Schroeder was whistled for an offensive foul on Hilbert's next trip, she drew one on the defensive end; she closed the game with a pair at the foul line which created the 10-point cushion.

GAME NOTES

• By the final horn, Hilbert made 25-of-65 field goal attempts (.385) with three makes beyond the arc.  They sank 21-of-25 from the foul line and forced a tie score twice, while taking six lead changes.  The Spartans hit 26-of-67 shots from the floor (.338), made five 3-point buckets but went to the line 12 times and scored only seven free throws.  They forced four tie score situations and took the lead five times in the game.
• D'Youville pulled down 21 offensive rebounds (43 total) and scored only 12 second chance points.  Hilbert worked for 20 offensive rebounds (42 total)  but doubled the Spartans with 21 second chance points.
• Hilbert finished with 11 steals which they turned into 26 points off D'Youville's 20 turnovers while the Hawks only committed 12 turnovers for the win.

WHAT'S NEXT

The right to represent the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference in the NCAA Division III National Tournament.  Fans can follow the game via La Roche University's Youtube live video stream and by live stats.

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 notification from the Hilbert College Hawks iOS SIDEARM mobile App which can be found in the Apple Store and ITunes.