FREDERICK, Md.--The fourth-seeded Hood College men's basketball team (15-11) suffered a heartbreaking 60-57 defeat at the hands of the fifth-seeded Marymount University Saints (15-11) in the opening round of the Capital Athletic Conference tournament Tuesday evening at the Odom Fitness Center at Fort Detrick.

Hood nearly came all the way back from a double-figure second-half deficit, trimming a 13-point margin to just one on a conventional three-point play by sophomore Tory Wilson in the final minute. But Marymount junior guard Stephen Simoneau hit two clutch jumpers in the final 50 seconds to clinch the narrow victory for the Saints. Marymount will travel to top-seeded St. Mary's College (Md.) Thursday for a semifinal contest.

Both squads got off to sluggish starts offensively. Clinging to a 14-11 lead with 7:53 left in the first half, the Saints went on a 13-4 run over the next 3:49 to go up by 12. Hood's Byron Morgan drained a trey on Hood's next possession, but that would be the Blazers' last bucket of the half as Marymount led 31-20 at halftime.

Marymount would not relinquish its lead but the Blazers fought until the final buzzer. Hood, which trailed by as many as 13 in the second half, narrowed the gap to just two on a putback by J'Air Brady at the 7:33 mark. Marymount countered at the other end on a triple by Simoneau and pushed the lead back to eight on a bucket and a free throw by Sam Sentz.

The Blazers found themselves in the same eight-point hole with 2:55 left but used a pair of buckets by Justin Stone and one by Anthony Bennett to close to within two with 1:21 left. After Simoneau buried his second clutch shot with nine seconds left to put the Saints up three, the Blazers had a chance to sink the game-tying shot but a long-range try from Brenden Straughn rimmed out and the Saints escaped with the win.

Wilson recorded his sixth double-double of the season with a game-high 17 points and 13 boards, while Bennett contributed 10 points off the bench in his final college game. Tyler Snoots was held scoreless from the field but hit four free throws and pulled down a game-high 14 rebounds. The Blazers also outrebounded the Saints, 42-36.

Four Marymount starters notched double figures in the scoring column, led by Elvis Ellis' 16 markers. Tarek Ammoury finished with a double-double of 14 points and 11 rebounds in addition to dishing four assists.