HAMBURG, N.Y. – The Hilbert College men's basketball team keeps finding a way to win the close games.  The Hawks battled back from a 14-point second half deficit to claim an 84-80 victory over Medaille College tonight.

Hilbert, posting their third consecutive Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference win, sit on top at 3-0 in the league standings as they improved to 5-2.  The four-point loss dropped Medaille to 3-4 and 1-1.

Masia Phillips put together his third double figure game and second 18-point performance in the last four games.  The sophomore slasher went 8-for-9 from the charity stripe to help secure the late-game comeback win. 

Hunter Martineau's big offensive rebound, put-back off his own missed free throw lifted Hilbert to a 3-point lead and created enough separation to force Medaille into a quick foul to end the game.  The sophomore point guard added 10 more assists to his career total and scored nine points along the way.

Antonio Alvarez has settled into his starting role and filled the stat sheet with 16 points, nine rebounds (six offensive), three assists, two blocks and two steals. 

Joseph Braniecki posted his first career double double collecting 10 points and 10 rebounds as he battled in the paint all night side by side with David Arlaud who also notched 10 points and grabbed nine rebounds (three blocks).

Nicholas Parucki found his shooting touch in the second half and carried the Hawks back into the game scoring 13 points off 5-of-8 shooting.   

Medaille took their largest lead in the first half, 8-4, (13:35) before Tyler Aquilina's 3-pointer just 35-second later lifted Hilbert by one point en route to a 20-12 lead at 10:26.   The Mavs responded and regained their lead but only to be matched on the score board at 38-38 when Alvarez scored a tip-in at the buzzer for half time.

The second period remained the same pace with no more than a two-possession score through the first three minutes.   Medaille's Matthew Sadowy posted eight points in a 17-4 run setting a 60-46 score at 13:21.

Insert Parucki into the line-up again and his 11-point run forced a 62-62 score at 9:40.

Twice Medaille stretched their lead back to seven, but Hilbert rallied.

Phillips followed an Arlaud jumper with a lay-up in the paint to force a 78-all score and then the Hawks played defense. 

Medaille forced a cross court pass out of bounds under their own hoop and then fouled Phillips who gave the Hawks a two-point edge with less than one minute left.

After the Mavericks forced their final tie, Martineau lept and grabbed an offensive rebound forcing a quick foul.  Martineau knocked the first one down, no problem.  He followed his missed shot off the left side of the rim, grabbed the loose ball and scored a lay-up against the big guys in the paint, turning that trip into a 3-point play (83-80). 

Phillips finished the scoring for the night before the final horn sounded.

The Hawks sank 17 of their 21 free throws, won the battle on the glass (46-38) and played unselfishly collecting 18 assists.

Hilbert returns to action this weekend when they travel to Pittsburgh to battle La Roche College December 9^th at 2pm.

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.