FREDERICK, Md. - Hood College went on a 13-3 run late in the second half to pull away from an upstart Bryn Athyn squad, 72-66, in the opening round of the Rotary Club of Frederick Holiday Classic.

With the win, the Blazers face Southern Vermont College at 3 p.m. on Sunday, December 22 in the championship game. The Lions will take on Penn State-Harrisburg in the consolation game at 1 p.m. 

Bryn Athyn, who entered the game on a three-game win streak, led for much of the contest before a lay up by Chris Cook (Mechanicsville, Va. / Lee-Davis) with 14:25 to play put Hood on top 43-42. The teams battled back and forth with five lead changes and three ties resulting in a 55-55 deadlock with 8:27 remaining.

The score remained that way for nearly a minute, until Cameron Cook (Baltimore, Md. / Calvert Hall) kicked the ball out to Reggie Daniels (Abingdon, Md. / Patterson Mill), who knocked down a three for a 58-55 lead that sparked Hood's run. Over the next four minutes, Hood scored five times in the paint, culminating a Jay Burke (Waldorf, Md. / North Point) dunk with 3:16 to play that gave the Blazers a 10-point edge, 65-55. 

The Lions kept plugging away, with two three-pointers by Jack Kehoe and a lay in by Jeff Seigafuse to chip the lead to 68-66 with 2:24 on the clock. Burke got another basket down low to halt the run and Chris Cook hit a pair of free throws down the stretch for the final score. 

Burke came off the bench to reach double figures for the first time in a Blazer uniform, finishing with 10 points.

Justin Bowens (Frederick, Md. / Tuscarora) had 10 of his team-high 14 in the second half as Hood erased a 37-30 halftime deficit.

In that first half, a three by Kehoe with 9:35 to go broke an 18-18 tie and put Bryn Athyn on top for the rest of the half as the Lions went into the intermission ahead by seven.

Hood shot 51 percent in the game, its best mark of the year.  Bowens finished the night 6-of-7 from the floor, while Burke went 5-of-8. 

Chris Cook gave the Blazers three players in double digits with a dozen points on 5-of-10 shooting.

Asa Smith (Cheltenham, Md. / Paul VI Catholic (Va.)) led the team with seven rebounds as Hood held a 35-29 edge on the glass. Smith tied Davon Hill (Clinton, Md. / Potomac School) for the team-high with three assists.

Burke, Smith and Hill led a group of Blazer reserves that outscored its counterparts 24-3 in the game.

For Bryn Athyn, Troy Steed netted a game-high 17 points on 8-of-15 shooting. Seigafuse knocked down 6-of-9 field goals on his way to 15 points. Christian Rivera had a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. All 12 of Kehoe's points came from beyond the arc. 

Southern Vermont 88, Penn State-Harrisburg 84 (2OT)

William Doyle scored 40 points but Penn State-Harrisburg dropped the first game of the Rotary Club of Frederick Holiday Classic in double overtime to Southern Vermont College, 88-84.

Harrisburg led 32-29 at halftime but found itself trailing 59-56 with under a second left when Doyle was fouled attempting a three-pointer. He calmly hit all three and a heave at the buzzer was unsuccessful for Southern Vermont.

Doyle sent the game into double-overtime with a three to make it 72-72 with 25 seconds on the clock.

In the second overtime, Southern Vermont never trailed and had a lead as big as eight. Rashawn Taylor led the Mountaineers with 25 points. DeShawn Hamlet (21 points), Izzy Melton (20 points), and Dolapo Olugbile (12 points) were also in double-digits.