After a furious second half comeback, the Hood College men's basketball team fell short in overtime Wednesday, 77-72, to Averett University.

The Blazers made up a nine-point halftime deficit and after both teams missed opportunities late in regulation to win it, Averett outscored Hood, 13-8, in the extra session to move over .500 on the season to 12-11 while the Blazers dropped their fifth in their last six games to fall to 11-13.

Hood's Santo Provenzano led all scorers with 31 points and Sterling Williams paced Averett with 26.

David Wilson had 15 points and seven boards for Hood and Ayo Okhiku tallied career-highs of 10 points and seven rebounds.

The win clinches the season series for Averett as it won 58-56 at home back on Feb. 6.

In overtime, Hood took an early lead, 66-64, after a Wilson layup, but that was its only advantage. The Cougars fought back and after the teams traded buckets, they made 5-of-6 free throws in the final 50 seconds to clinch it.

Both teams shot 44 percent from the floor in the contest and Averett used six 3s in the first half to pull out to its 35-27 advantage at the break.

In the second stanza, Hood limited the Cougars to just two treys while shooting 59.1 percent (13-for-22) from the floor.

The Blazers will wrap up their regular season Saturday at 3 p.m. against Chestnut Hill at Frederick Community College. The game is the second of a women's-men's doubleheader as part of Hood's first annual Homecoming Weekend.

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For more information contact Jason Brennan, sports information director, at 301.696.3978, or by e-mail at brennan@hood.edu.