BETHLEHEM, Pa.--Junior Sean Robine hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with
14 seconds left and sophomore Jesse Gutekunst added a pair of free
throws with three ticks remaining as Hood College edged New Jersey
City University 85-82 in the championship game of the 28th Annual
Moravian College Greyhound Starters Classic Sunday afternoon.
The tournament title was the first for the Hood men's basketball
program in its brief three-year history.
The Blazers (6-8) trailed 70-63 with 11:09 remaining before
rallying to take a 74-73 lead on a pair of free throws by freshman
Tim Abercrombie. The lead then changed hands four more times down
the stretch, with NJCU (9-3) moving in front 80-78 on a 3 by
Charles Coles with 3:28 to play.
Abercrombie hit a jumper to tie the game at 80 with just over three
minutes left before the Gothic Nights hit 2-of-4 free throws to
take an 82-80 advantage inside of two minutes.
Robine, who came into the game having made just eight 3-pointers on
the season, then drained his biggest shot of the year to put Hood
in front for good. It was his lone basket of the second half.
Gutekunst, a 70 percent free-throw shooter this year, then sealed
the win by hitting both free throws and finished with 10
points.
Junior Santo Provenzano earned tournament MVP honors after scoring
a game-high 32 points on 13-of-21 shooting. He nearly
single-handedly kept Hood in the game in the first half, as he
scored 22 points on 9-of-12 shooting as NJCU led 48-42 at the
break.
Abercrombie was named to the all-tournament team as well after
pouring in a career-high 20 points, including 16 in the second
half, and adding six assists and four rebounds. He was 6-for-8 from
the field and 2-for-3 from behind the arc after intermission and
hit several key baskets to counter NJCU makes and keep the Blazers
within single digits.
Both teams came out firing in the first half, as NJCU hit 54.3
percent (19-of-35) from the
floor and Hood shot 50 percent (15-of-30). The Blazers were just
1-of-9 from 3-point range but stayed close by hitting 11-of-18 from
the free-throw line. Robine and Gutekunst both grabbed a game-high
10 rebounds to help Hood to a 45-35 advantage on the boards.
Junior Dennis Tressler scored 11 points and grabbed seven rebounds
as Hood had four players score in double figures for the second
straight game.
Devin Davis had 19 points, but just two after halftime, and Mark
Washington added 16 for NJCU, which had its eight-game winning
streak snapped.
After playing its first 14 games on the road, Hood opens its home
slate Wednesday when it faces Centenary (N.J.) at Gov. Thomas
Johnson High School beginning at 7 p.m. The game is the first of
five straight for the Blazers at home, where they are 15-3
alltime.