FREDERICK, Md.--Junior Jesse Gutekunst matched his career-high with 31 points and swished two clutch free throws with two seconds remaining in overtime to propel the Hood College men's basketball team to a rousing 91-90 victory over the University of Mary Washington in a Capital Athletic Conference game at Gov. Thomas Johnson High School Saturday afternoon.

The Blazers (16-3, 9-1 CAC), who won their ninth game in a row, remain unbeaten at home at 8-0 and avenged a 16-point defeat to the Eagles (12-6, 6-4 CAC) from Dec. 2. In just its first year in the conference, the Blazers lead the CAC by three games and have now defeated each of the eight conference squads at least once.

The first half featured six ties and 10 lead changes before a fast-break layup by senior Darnell Edmonds gave the Blazers a narrow 42-40 edge at the break. Neither team led by more than six through the first 20 minutes.

Mary Washington, the league leader in three-point field goals, buried seven triples in the first 9:59 to take their largest lead of the game, 65-54. But the Blazers chipped away at the double-figure deficit and managed to tie the game at 71-71 on a pair of free throws by sophomore Ryan Junghans at the 6:41 mark. Junghans has now nailed 37 consecutive free throws. Although the Blazers were unable to regain the lead, they managed to knot the score three more times.

In the final minute of the game, UMW's Mike Lee drilled a trey from the top of the key with two seconds left on the shot clock to put the Eagles up three with 48 seconds to go in regulation and the Eagles immediately called timeout. On Hood's next possession, Edmonds drove the lane for a layup that was off the mark, but the Eagles knocked the ball out of bounds giving the ball back to Hood.

On the ensuing inbounds play, Junghans found Edmonds on the left wing and the senior point guard gave the Eagles a taste of their own medicine, drilling the biggest long-range shot of Hood's season to tie the score at 84-84 with 16 seconds remaining. Mary Washington's Jon Pierce had a shot to send the visitors home victorious in regulation but his three-point attempt rimmed out, sending the game into overtime.

Neither team was able to find their stroke from the floor in the extra session, but as is the case in many tight ballgames, this one was decided at the charity stripe. Gutekunst put back a missed trey from Edmonds to put the Blazers on top, 88-86, with 1:20 left. After each squad hit 1-of-2 from the line, Mary Washington's Kiernan Whitworth drained his fifth three-pointer of the game from the right corner off a pass from Baker to give the Eagles a 90-89 edge.

On Hood's next possession, the Eagles tried to trap the Blazer guards but Junghans got open on the left wing and launched a three-pointer that was off the mark and the ball caromed out of bounds, awarding possession to Mary Washington. The Blazers called timeout and on the inbounds, fouled A.J. Fitzgerald, who was 3-for-3 from the line thus far in the game. A 73% free-throw shooter on the season, Fitzgerald missed both free throws and Gutekunst corralled the rebound off the second miss and the Blazers used another timeout.

Hood ran a play for Gutekunst, who caught the ball under the basket and went strong to the hoop but was fouled by Whitworth with two seconds remaining. The two-time CAC player of the week calmly swished both foul shots to regain a 91-90 lead for Hood. On their ensuing possession, UMWýs Matt Hale inbounded the ball from underneath Hood's basket all the way to Fitzgerald at midcourt, but Junghans was there to knock the ball out of bounds with 0.2 on the clock. After UMW called their final timeout, Lee launched the ball into the lane but Gutekunst was there to swat the ball away for the final margin.

Gutekunst registered his 26th career double-double with a game-high 31 points and 17 rebounds to go along with three blocks, two steals and an assist. Edmonds finished with 12 points, five assists, five steals and four rebounds, while Junghans netted 17 points and four rebounds. Senior Sean Robine tallied 18 points, nine rebounds and a team-high seven assists, while sophomore Tim Abercrombie totaled 11 points and six assists.

Pierce and Lee paced the Eagles with 19 points apiece, as Mary Washington connected on 19 three-point field goals in the losing cause.

The Blazers continue CAC play Wednesday at St. Mary's College of Maryland at 7 p.m.