Hilbert went on a late 17-3 scoring run in Wednesday's AMCC contest against Pitt-Bradford, turning a one-point deficit into a 90-80 setback for the Panthers.
Manny Welch's long three with nine minutes remaining in the game gave Pitt-Bradford a 65-64 lead, its first since the 3:38 mark of the first half. Hilbert would convert a pair of free throws to jump back ahead, but Evan Greening's layup inside made it 67-66 Panthers.
The Hawks would seize the lead for good on their ensuing possession, and Jalen Smith's three from the top of the key moments later had the visitors off and running. To compound matters, the Panthers missed four consecutive shots, and they trailed 78-67 before scoring their next bucket. Hilbert sealed the game at the line, going 5-6 over the final 95 seconds.
It was a close-knit affair until the final 8:13 as the game was tied or the lead exchanged hands 18 times. Pitt-Bradford led most of the first half before Hilbert scored 10 of the final 13 points in the period to lead 38-33 at the break.
Hilbert shot 54 percent from the floor, scored 42 points in the paint, and was 15-20 from the charity stripe. The Hawks outrebounded Pitt-Bradford by two and netted 17 points off 13 Panther turnovers.
Pitt-Bradford hit at a 48 percent clip from the field yet went cold down the stretch, missing 12 of its final 15 shots. Christian Kelly-Perkins and Welch combined to hit nine of the Panthers' 12 threes.
Kelly-Perkins finished with a career-high 23 points, going 9-15 from the floor, and Fateem Brockington chipped in with 16. Welch totaled 15 points, and Evan Greening recorded his 13th double-double of the season, scoring 14 points and pulling down 18 rebounds.
Pitt-Bradford drops to 7-8 on the season and 5-5 in the AMCC. The Panthers will host La Roche Saturday at 4 p.m.