ANNVILLE, Pa. - The Hood College men's basketball team led by double figures in the second half but Lebanon Valley came back to defend its home court as the Blazers dropped a 75-71 final in Middle Atlantic Conference Commonwealth action.
Inside the Box Score
- Trumaine Strickland (Frederick, Md./Tuscarora) shot 9-of-17 on his way to a team-best 23 points to go along with six rebounds.
- Ryan Hollwedel (Ellicott City, Md./Centennial) and Christopher Smalls (Washington, D.C./St. Andrew's Episcopal) each hit three 3-pointers and finished with 11 points.
- Jevon Yarbrough (Williamsport, Md./Williamsport) added 10 points off the bench, sinking 4-of-6 field goals.
- Jack Fricka (Alexandria, Va./West Potomac) led Hood with eight rebounds and Garrison Linton (New Market, Md./Oakdale) had seven assists. Both players recorded two steals.
How it Happened
- The two teams traded runs in the second half. Hood scored the first seven points of the period to claim a 45-31 lead with 17:17 to play.
- Collin Jones scored 10 points during a 17-5 that followed, shaving the Blazers' lead to 50-48 at 12:09.
- Hood responded with a 12-3 run to build a 62-51 lead with 8:23 to play. The Blazers went 4-for-5 with three 3-point field goals during the run but could not keep up the hot shooting.
- As a team, Hood made just two more field goals the rest of the way, opening the door for a 24-9 game-closing run for LVC. Only three Dutchmen scored during the run, Jones, Evan Smith and Jevon Griffin.
- Griffin hit a 3-point shot to pull Lebanon Valley within 62-60 with 5:04 remaining. Smalls grabbed an offensive rebound, was fouled and hit both free throws at the other end for Hood's first points in over three minutes. After an and-one from Jones, back-to-back 3-pointers by Smith put LVC in front, 67-64 at the 1:48 mark.
- A 3-pointer from Smalls cut LVC's lead to 68-67 with 1:17 to play. On the next Dutchmen possession, Smith was forced to toss up a jumper with the shot clock expiring and it found the bottom of the net to give Lebanon Valley a 70-67 edge. Hood pulled within two twice in the 48 seconds but could not tie the game.
- In the first half, Smalls, Soren Almquist (Oakton, Va./James Madison) and Will Spencer (Davidsonville, Md./Boys' Latin School) each hit 3-pointers during a 12-4 run that stretched a 20-17 lead to 32-21 with under four minutes left in the half.
- Hood carried a 38-31 lead into halftime.
Analysis
- The Blazers shot only 39 percent in the game and were whistled for 28 fouls but used an 18-7 advantage in points off turnovers and a 21-9 edge in bench points to try to hold off the Dutchmen.
- LVC shot 45 percent from the floor, including 10-of-26 (39 percent) from the 3-point arc.
For the Opponent
- Jones had game highs of 24 points and 16 rebounds for the Dutchmen on 9-of-12 shooting.
- Payton Lewis hit five 3-pointers and scored 19 points.
- Smith finished with 16 points.
Notes
- Hood slipped to 5-5 overall and 2-2 in the MAC Commonwealth, while LVC improved to 4-5 and 2-1.
- Graduate transfer Michael Wallace (Wilmington, Del./Salesianum School), who missed the first nine games of the season, made his Blazer debut. He scored two points off the bench.
Up Next
The Blazers are idle before heading to Keystone in La Plume, Pa. on December 18.
