ERIE, Pa. – After leading for 36 minutes of the game, the Hilbert College women's basketball team gave up a late-game lead and fell 59-56 at Penn State Behrend tonight.
The Lions (8-8, 6-3) jumped to third place in the league as Hilbert sits in a 6th place tie with Franciscan at the end of the first-half of AMCC schedule.
Katelyn Proy led all scorers with 22 points, picking up 20 markers in the first three quarters.
Shannon Rogers and
Kelsi Ebert posted nine points each as the only three starters who attempted shots and scored.
Wyann Jackson lifted the Hawks with eight points and Emily Spiedel knocked in five.
Morgan McNeill added a deep 3 to finish the team's scoring.
For the second time this season, Hilbert was outrebounded (34-36) as they gave up 14 offensive rebounds to the hosts.
Both teams shot 40% from the floor, 25% from beyond the arc and attempted 19 free throws. Hilbert connected on 14 freebies, while Behrend struggled at the line connecting on only nine.
Behrend made 23 buckets (four 3-pointers) while Hilbert sank only 20, with a pair of 3-pointers in 40-minutes of action. The Lions gained the momentum late in the final quarter to pull out the victory.
Ebert and Rogers combined for the Hawks' 4-0 lead to start the game. But over the next two minutes, the Lions went on an 8-0 run to grab their largest lead of the game (8-4) at 6:13.
Proy (eight points) and Jackson combined for a Hilbert 10-0 run and lifted them back on top 14-8 at 3:08.
The Hawks maintained their lead through the end of the first quarter (16-10) and won the second period (17-11) as they held a 33-21 advantage by intermission.
Behrend regrouped in the third quarter outscoring Hilbert 18-13 but still trailed the Hawks 46-39 at the quarter break.
Rogers' five consecutive points gave Hilbert a ten-point spread (52-42) at 5:03 in the fourth quarter.
Behrend stormed back hitting back-to-back 3-point shots forcing a 52-52 tie at 2:47. The Lions then took a three-point lead off an 'and-one' bucket at 1:20 (57-54) before
Emily Speidel calmly knocked down a pair of free throws to cut the score to one point (56-57) just ten-seconds later.
After Behrend's timeout, Proy was credited with a steal at 0:38 but the Hawks missed their jumper and quickly fouled a Lion, who sank both foul shots. Hilbert was unable to connect for a final score before the final horn.
Hilbert returns to action this Thursday when they host cross-town rival Medaille College at 8pm. The Hawks claimed a 16-point victory over the 10th placed-Mavs on December 2nd in North Buffalo.