Knights jump over Aragon, into PAL race

"We really came out and played how we needed to on defense," said Hillsdale Head Coach Bill Wilkin. "I give a lot of credit to my guys. They came out with too much energy but were able to slow down and keep it together.

The first quarter ended in a 11-11 tie, with both teams playing tight defense and making half-court scoring opportunities difficult to come by for the opponent. The second quarter proved to be a different story, however, as Hillsdale's star point guard Josh Urbiztondo made several of his six steals on the night and took them the other way for fast break scores. He scored 10 of his game-high 23 points in the period.

"Yeah, we were really running a lot in the first half," said Urbiztondo. "Everybody came out with such an intensity and we couldn't stop running."

The Knights broke away to lead 23-17 at halftime. The Dons were struggling with poor shooting from their regular leading scorer, Reid Mosman, who had seven points, and Matt Holton, who committed several turnovers and was never able to utilize his usual quickness to the basket against the tight defense.

But undersized center Manase Tonga was aggressive around the basket, pulling in 15 rebounds and scoring a team-high eight points. Steven Held also contributed, mixing it up inside to pull down rebounds and loose balls on his way to four points.

The second half saw a dramatic shift in the pace of the game. Urbiztondo caught fire from outside, sinking several quick shots, and sophomore Robbie Peters played beyond his age with a series of aggressive yet composed plays.

Early in the third, Peters faced up to his man at the top of the key and took the ball to the basket, made a spin move to evade the defender, and hit a jump shot. Aragon missed its next shot, and center Bryan Snodgrass pulled down the rebound -- one of six total -- and fired immediately to a racing Peters.

Then, on the next play, Hilldale's Dan Rodriguez, who scored nine and had six rebounds in a solid performance, stole a pass and broke downcourt. He missed his lay-up, but Peters pulled the ball out from the pack of players that had followed the play and was fouled attempting the put-back.

"I felt confident this game, and I think my confidence is just building every day," said Peters, who finished with 14 points and six rebounds. "I was happy that I scored tonight, but as long as somebody is putting the ball in the basket, that's what matters."

The Dons maintained their tenacity throughout the game, but simply could not score down the stretch, scoring only three points in the final quarter to make the game look much more lopsided than it really was.

Aragon falls to 1-5 in league play and 4-14 overall, while Hillsdale pushes its mark to 3-3 and 9-8 overall. The Knights have now won three in a row and will face Mills before hosting San Mateo, which looks like the team to beat in the PAL South.

"Defensively, we've played great, holding our last three opponents to the thirties in scoring," said Wilkin. "If we keep playing like that, I think we can challenge for the top spot in the league."

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