PITTSBURGH, Pa. – The Hilbert College women's basketball team will return to the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference Championship Title game for the second consecutive year after they earned a 67-47 semifinal victory over Pitt-Bradford this afternoon in the Kerr Fitness Center on La Roche  College's campus.

Junior Emily Gawlak poured in 29 points to lead the 21-5 Hawks to their second 21-win season.  The fiery guard from South Buffalo took her game to a new level by hitting 10-of-16 shots from the floor, 4-of-9 from deep and all five free throws.  She added four assists and three steals in 39 minutes of action.

After going 3-0 against Bradford this winter, the Hilbert women are aiming for the same 3-0 sweep against tomorrow's opponent – Penn State Behrend, who earned a 57-56 victory vs #1 La Roche College in the opening game of the AMCC Final Four weekend. 

#2 Hilbert, who earned a 48-37 win in Hamburg and used a strong second half to pull out the 62-50 win  in Erie, will tip Sunday, February 24 at 12:00 pm against the #5 Lions.  Fans who can't travel to Pittsburgh, can watch the game via the La Roche College Athletics Video link (CLICK HERE).  Live stats links will be posted on the team's page once they become available.

Ashley Repine tossed in 13 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to post her 11th double double of the season, and Katelyn Proy added 10 points, nine rebounds a game-high four blocked shots. Proy is eight swats away from setting  a Single Season record at Hilbert as she sits at number 87.

Demi Battin, who paired four steals and five rebounds with six assists, is only eight helpers away from 100 in the season.

Gawlak and Repine led the Hawks with 16 of the team's 18 first-quarter points as Hilbert had to rally after a slow start.  Repine knocked in back-to-back buckets inside the lane before Gawlak found her range as play progressed to an 18-18 score after ten minutes.

Turnovers in the opening minutes of the second quarter continued to plaque the Hawks as they found themselves trailing by six points just about half way thru the period.

Twice, Repine hit inside the lane and Gawlak reached from downtown slicing their deficit to one point. When Taylor Corts connected in the lane on the second run, she  lifted Hilbert into their first lead of the game with less than one minute remaining in the quarter.  Gawlak drained a 3-pointer before the break and reflecting back on the game, that hit was just a  prelude to what was coming in the second half.

Bradford earned 12 offensive rebounds and force nine Hilbert turnovers by intermission which kept the score close.

But Gawlak continued to fuel the Hawks offense early in the third quarter.  Hilbert opened on a 6-0 run setting a 42-32 score at 7:40.

Corts struck her first 3-ball on Hilbert's next possession responding to the Panther's deep hit stretching their lead back to double digits and Proy's bunny in the paint built a 12 point advantage.

Morgan McNeill came up with a big defensive stop in the lane that fueled another driving lay-up by Gawlak  which made it a 51-35 score.

By the start of the fourth period, Hilbert maintained control of the game (56-39) thanks to a 20-9 third quarter effort.  The Hawks elevated their focus on defense  limiting Bradford's looks at the rim and shutting down their offensive rebound from the first half. 

Hilbert carried that confidence into the final quarter as their deeper bench also proved to be a difference maker by the end of the game.   The Hawk, who subbed freely in the first three sessions, finished shots and got to loose balls late in the game while the Panthers lost their legs by the final horn. 

Hilbert held Bradford to eight points in the final ten minutes of their season and dropped the Panthers to 12-13 overall.

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.