FREDERICK, Md. - After honoring its seniors and with its season hanging in the balance, the Hood College men's basketball team picked up a resounding 92-63 victory over first-place Widener in Middle Atlantic Conference Commonwealth play.
Punching their ticket
- The win clinched a bid in the MAC Commonwealth Tournament for the Blazers, who ended the day 9-7 in conference play and 16-9 overall. Hood holds the fifth seed and will travel to fourth-seeded Lycoming on Monday, February 24.
Inside the Box Score
- Mason Wang scored a game-high 29 points off the bench, with Head Coach Chad Dickman giving all five seniors the start on senior day. Wang hit 10-of-17 field goals, including 5-of-10 from 3-point range. He entered the game 17 points shy of Santo Provenzano's single-season record and not only surpassed the mark, but became the first Blazer to surpass 600 points in a season.
- Christopher Smalls, who also came off the bench, knocked down 7-of-10 from the field on his way to 16 points and added three steals.
- Senior Kobe Butler scored 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting, including 2-for-3 from 3-point land. He led Hood with both seven rebounds and five assists.
- Evan Wang matched Butler's five assists and scored 12 points on 4-for-5 effort from behind the 3-point arc.
How it Happened
- After Widener took a quick 6-2 lead, Hood went on an 8-2 spurt to take the lead on back-to-back 3-pointers by Butler with 17:26 to go in the half. After two Elijah Boyd free throws two minutes later tied the game at 10-10, the teams traded turnovers. Mason Wang came up with a steal and found his brother Evan open behind the arc for a 13-10 lead and the Blazers never trailed again.
- Hood gradually expanded the lead to 30-25 with under eight minutes to go in the half before going on a 23-10 run to close the half. Mason Wang scored nine points during the run to go into halftime with 19 as the Blazers took a 53-35 advantage into the locker room.
- Wang's final field goal of the game capped a 17-9 run for Hood that stretched the lead out to 82-54.
- A 3-pointer by Dominic Peterson with 3:07 on the clock gave the Blazers their biggest lead, 90-57.
Analysis
- Hood went 13-of-30 from 3-point range (43 percent), while holding the Pride to just 4-for-22 (18 percent). The 13 made 3-pointers gave Hood enough to set a new single-season record, finishing the game with 283.
- The Blazers held a 40-35 edge in rebounding.
- Hood turned the ball over only 10 times and outscored Widener 20-9 in points off turnovers.
For the Opponent
- Kolby Woodard scored 19 points off the bench on 8-of-11 shooting and was the only player in double figures for the Pride.
- Outside of Woodard, Widener hit only 15-of-49 field goals (31 percent).
- Kenny Lewis and Woodard both grabbed seven rebounds.
Notes
Up Next
Hood travels to Lycoming for the MAC Commonwealth First Round on Monday, February 24 at 7 p.m.
