FREDERICK, Md.--The Hood College men's basketball team (5-9, 2-3 CAC) rallied to secure its first home victory of the season Wednesday, defeating the visiting Marymount University Saints (5-7, 1-3 CAC) in a Capital Athletic Conference game at Gov. Thomas Johnson High School.

Hood exacted some revenge with this triumph after the Saints, then the sixth seed, toppled the third-seeded Blazers in the quarterfinals of the 2008 CAC tournament at this very site. The Blazers, who came from behind to win their first contest of the season in which they trailed at halftime, presented head coach Tom Dickman with his 80th coaching victory as Hood's mentor.

Hood set the tone early, jumping out to an 11-4 lead within the first 5:22 on the strength of nine points by freshman Brenden Straughn. But the Saints used a 9-0 run to snag a 13-11 lead capped by a conventional three-point play by Sam Sentz at the 11:02 mark. Marymount would maintain the advantage the remainder of the half, though Hood did cut the deficit to just two on a buzzer-beating trey by J'Air Brady. The Saints led 31-29 at intermission.

Hot perimeter shooting in the second half propelled the Blazers to a lead they would not surrender. Trailing 38-37 with 13:20 to play in regulation, four different Blazers buried a total of five three-pointers over a span of 5:13 to put Hood up 54-41 with 7:32 left. The Saints meanwhile went ice cold from the floor and did not make a field goal over the final 9:32 of the contest.

Straughn led all scorers with 21 points and dished five assists while Tim Abercrombie finished with 15 points and Brady added 12.

Marymount's 47 points were the fewest allowed by a Hood team in a CAC game since the Gallaudet University Bison mustered that identical total on Dec. 6, 2007.

The Blazers next travel to Wesley College Saturday for a CAC contest at 4 p.m.