HAMBURG, N.Y. - Junior forward Ashley Repine put the Hawks on her shoulders and carried them to a 72-65 Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference victory over Penn State Altoona this afternoon.  

Three other Hilbert players notched double figure points as the White and Royal closed the game hitting 50-percent of the their shots from the field but only 45.8 percent from the FREE throw line.

The women's basketball team helped the Athletics Department celebrate a National Girls & Women in Sports Day program with the Orchard Park Youth Basketball Association.  The very excited OPYBA players took the floor during intermission and displayed all their talents during an entertaining set of half time, half court games.

#1 Hilbert locked-up their third consecutive appearance in the AMCC post season tournament after they collected their 11th league win against only two losses.  The Lions, at 9-5, are still in the hunt for post season as they currently sit in 3rd place, trailing second-place La Roche (11-3).

The 2018-19 women's basketball team established a new win-loss record after the first 20 games on the schedule.  Hilbert improved to 16-4 overall and bettered last season'smark at this point of the year (15-5).  

Repine knocked in 26 points hitting 10-of-13 shots from the floor.  She grabbed 13 rebounds along with one block and steal in the win.

Katelyn Proy was having a great game before she fouled out way too early in the fourth quarter. She combined 15 points with 12 rebounds, five blocks and one assist and steal.

Emily Gawlak and Taylor Corts managed the perimeter tossing in 14 and 12 points respectively. Gawlak added four assists and three steals while Corts dished for two assists.

Demi Battin crashed for three offensive rebounds and chipped in four points, and three assists as Emma Fredo and Natassia West came off the bench and made things happen.  Fredo pulled down four rebounds and West filled the stat sheet with a rebound, an assist, a blocked shot and a steal.

"I was very pleased with our effort and competitive drive today," said coach Amy Senefelder.  "This was a big win for the Hawks as they continue on their journey to championship weekend again.  Having the local youth supporting us at the game was a big lift and interacting with them in our post-game meet-and-greet was fabulous."

After falling behind 20-12 after ten minutes, Hilbert rallied hard in the second quarter.  The Hawks outscored the Lions 24-10 with Repine (8 points) and Gawlak (10) leading the charge.  

By intermission, Hilbert built a 36-30 lead off 51.6 percent field goal shooting (16-31) while holding the Lions to 35.7 percent.  Proy kept play alive on the offensive end for the hosts, picking the glass for four of Hilbert's eight offensive rebounds in 20 minutes.

Repine muscled her way to seven quick points at the start of the third quarter stretching Hilbert's lead to +10 at 7:36.  Altoona sliced the difference down to one point (46-45) five minutes later and both teams battled to a 49-47 Hilbert advantage at the start of the final quarter.

Repine and Proy kept the Hawks with a two-possession lead early in the fourth before Corts drilled two long distance shots which maintained a Hilbert flow in the final minutes of the game.

Altoona held a 42-41 advantage on the glass and forced Hilbert into 20 turnovers.  Hilbert struggled at the foul line, hitting only 11-of-24 attempts.

Things heat up next week as the Hawks prepare for three games in four days.  Medaille makes an appearance in the Hafner Recreation Center February 6, and thanks to Winter Storm Jayden, Hilbert will travel for their make-up game against Pitt-Bradford then next night, February 7.  The Hawks close the week with another road game in Steubenville, OH when they battle Franciscan February 9.