HILBERT, LA ROCHE ADVANCE TO MEN'S BASKETBALL SEMIFINALS
The #3 La Roche University Redhawks and #4 Hilbert College Hawks each earned victories in the first round of the AMCC Men's Basketball Championship Tournament to advance to the semifinal round, set for Friday evening at Penn State Behrend. The Redhawks defeated #6 Alfred State College 74-61, while the Hawks earned a 92-77 win over #6 Penn State Altoona.
La Roche 74, Alfred State 61
La Roche built and maintained control for much of the game, using balanced scoring and consistent defensive pressure to pull away from the Pioneers. The game stayed tight early on, but the Redhawk offense found a rhythm that Alfred State couldn’t fully counter. La Roche jumped out early with a quick 5–0 lead and sustained offensive pressure. Alfred State battled back, but La Roche maintained a lead into halftime. The Redhawks pushed their lead right out of halftime, scoring the first basket and then a layup to open up a 37-27 advantage early in the second half. La Roche extended its cushion through a key three-pointer from Jeston Beatty, growing the lead to 42-27. The Pioneers got mini spurts from Kennyh Hardeman and Darius Cunningham Jr., who hit a couple of baskets to chip away at the deficit, pulling within striking distance at times. Despite Alfred State’s efforts, La Roche maintained momentum — mixing timely scoring and defensive stops — and stretched the advantage as the half continued. The Redhawks sealed the win by keeping the pressure on both ends, helping them to maintain their lead and hang on for the win.
For La Roche, Beatty led all scorers with 19 points, while Brandon Bell registered 15 points and 10 rebounds for the double-double effort. Major Rainey also added a double-double for the Redhawks, scoring 15 points and grabbing 10 rebounds while Bryce Epps chipped in with 13 points.
Cunningham, Jr. led the Pioneers with 20 points.
With the win, La Roche will advance and face No. 2 Pitt-Greensburg in the 8:00 pm night cap Friday night in the Junker Center.
Hilbert 92, Penn State Altoona 77
The Hawks outscored the Lions 55-41 after halftime by limiting their first-half turnovers and converting multiple three-point plays to make the program's sixth appearance in the Final Four tournament this weekend. In a game that featured 10 ties and 10 lead changes, Hilbert seized control midway through the second half behind efficient shooting and rebounding. The Hawks controlled the interior throughout the contest, outscoring Penn State Altoona 58-50 in the paint and holding a decisive 48-32 advantage on the boards. Hilbert's 19 offensive rebounds led to 16 second-chance points, a key difference in the game.
After holding a narrow 37-36 lead at halftime, Hilbert opened the second half with improved defensive intensity and ball movement, recording 22 assists on 38 made field goals. The Hawks also received a boost from their bench, which outscored Altoona's reserves 16-5.
Hilbert placed four players in double figures, led by Ari Jones with a game-high 28 points, including 4-of-5 from beyond the arc, while also adding seven rebounds. Jayden Montgomery followed with 21 points and a game-high nine assists. Larry Morse added 20 points and nine rebounds, and Demetrius Robinson posted a strong effort off the bench with his second double-double this week, pairing 11 points and a team-high 10 rebounds.
Penn State Altoona was led by Braelen Cage and Nehemiah Frye with 20 points apiece.
Hilbert advances to Friday night's 6:00 pm game against #1 Penn State Behrend in the AMCC semifinals.