FREDERICK, Md. - Hood College's
Trumaine Strickland (Frederick, Md./Tuscarora) had 25 points and 12 rebounds but visiting Eastern pulled away from the Blazers in the second half at the Volpe Athletic Center 79-65.
Inside the Box Score
- Strickland went 8-of-16 shooting and was 8-of-10 at the free throw line. Both his 25 points and dozen boards set new career highs for the senior guard.
- Christopher Smalls (Washington, D.C./St. Andrew's Episcopal) was the only other player in double figures for Hood, scoring 12 points on 6-for-12 shooting.
- Jack Fricka (Alexandria, Va./West Potomac) had eight rebounds and Ryan Hollwedel (Ellicott City, Md./Centennial) recorded three steals.
How it Happened
- Strickland scored eight points during a 15-3 run to close the first half, turning a 10-point deficit into a 35-33 Blazer lead at halftime.
- The momentum did not carry over into the second half as the Eagles opened things up with a 13-4 run. Sam Gallardo scored seven points during the stretch, including two free throws that made it 46-39 with 15:34 to go.
- Hood pulled within four twice, including on a basket by Fricka that pulled the Blazers within 50-46 with 12 minutes on the clock. Eastern immediately went on a 17-9 run, however, including a pair of 3-pointers by Nick Mate, to take a 67-55 advantage at 6:30.
Analysis
- Neither team shot particularly well in the game. Eastern hit 39 percent of its field goals, compared to 36 percent for Hood.
- The Eagles did go 10-for-27 (37 percent) from 3-point distance, while the Blazers were uncharacteristically cold at 4-of-23 (17 percent).
- Hood committed 18 turnovers, two more than Eastern.
- The Blazers held up well on the backboards against the larger Eagles' defense. Hood was outrebounded just 43-42 in the contest.
For the Opponent
- Gallardo paced Eastern with 20 points.
- Nate Mate added 13 off the bench in only 13 minutes, hitting four 3-pointers.
- Zubair Lee grabbed 17 rebounds.
Notes
- The game was a rematch of last season's Middle Atlantic Conference Commonwealth Championship Game, won by Hood.
- Eastern picked up its third straight regular season win over the Blazers.
- Hood fell to 5-3 overall and 2-1 in the league. The Eagles improved to 9-2 overall with a 2-0 mark in the MAC Commonwealth.
Up Next
The Blazers hit the road to face Lebanon Valley College on Saturday, December 10 at 3 p.m.
