Hamburg, NY – Nate Cohen scored a team-high 19 points to lead five Roos in double figures but host Hilbert College held off SUNY Canton late in an 83-77 win for the Hawks in a non-conference contest on Thursday afternoon.

THE BASICS

• Result: Hilbert 83, SUNY Canton 77
• Location: Hafner Recreation Center – Hamburg, NY
• Records: Hilbert (9-3) | SUNY Canton (0-8)

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Canton roared out to an early 12-4 lead after Cohen found Malaki Smith for a three-pointer less than five minutes in. Smith and Eli Larson combined for all 12 of the Roos points in the opening run.
• Smith knocked down his third trey in the opening seven minutes as Canton led 17-9 with 13:02 left in the opening half. The Roos held their largest lead of the game at 24-15 after a Hansen Bagdonas three with 8:55 left in the half.
• The host Hawks responded with a 13-0 lead to take a 28-24 lead with 5:45 left in the first. Canton bounced back as the teams went into intermission tied at 38 apiece.
• Neither team led by more than four the first 13 minutes of the second half until the Roos opened a five point lead (68-63) with seven minutes remaining after a Jevonte Williams three.
• The Hawks knotted the game at 73 apiece with 2:24 remaining after a pair of Sonny Williams free throws. After a pair of Canton fouls Shaheem Ellis knocked down four straight free throws to take a 77-73 lead with 1:14 to play.
• Bryon Streb cut the lead to two on a pair of free throws with 50 seconds left but Ellis knocked down two more free throws with 39 seconds left. Canton responded with a pair of Williams free throws to get within 79-77 with 30 seconds left.
• Quran Briggs finished a bucket in the paint with 20 seconds to extend the lead back to four and Hilbert hit two of its four free throws in the final 11 seconds to hang on for the victory.

 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Cohen led the Roos with 19 points, four assists and three rebounds shooting 7-for-13 from the field and 5-for-10 from beyond the arc. Streb totaled 14 points and seven rebounds, while Smith (13), Williams (12) and Larson (10) all scored in double figures.
• Ellis paced the Hawks with 26 points, seven assists, four rebounds and three steals, while Briggs (12), Larry Morse (11) and Luke Rybicki (11) scored in double figures.
• Hilbert shot 44% from the field and 43% from three-point range, while Canton tallied marks of 44% and 40%, respectively.
• The Hawks had the edge in points in the paint (32-18), second chance points (17-9), points off turnovers (13-6) and fast break points (16-10).

 
WHAT'S NEXT?
The Roos return to SUNYAC action on Tuesday when they host SUNY Oneonta at 7:30 p.m.   
   

Discover SUNY Canton, where innovation meets opportunity. The college's career-focused educational programs emphasize hands-on and applied learning opportunities in digital design, engineering technology, health, information technology, management, public service, and veterinary technology. Faculty members bring real-world experience and exceptional academic expertise to the classroom. As a leader in online education, SUNY Canton offers unmatched flexibility with hundreds of courses and 23 comprehensive degree programs offered completely online. The SUNY Canton Kangaroos compete at the NCAA Division III level and are members of the SUNYAC. In addition to its 15 traditional teams, SUNY Canton offers coed varsity esports and cheerleading.