FREDERICK, Md. - Neither team lead by more than four points during a second half that featured 18 ties or lead changes, but second-seeded Hood College took the lead for good with two minutes and 35 seconds to play, outlasting the Albright in the Middle Atlantic Conference Commonwealth Quarterfinals 82-79.
With the win, the Blazers will host Widener in a MAC Commonwealth Semifinal contest on Friday, Feb. 25 at 6 p.m.
Inside the Box Score
- Bryce Butler, Christopher Smalls and Trumaine Strickland stepped up as Albright focused its game plan heavily on Mason Wang and Evan Wang.
- Butler scored 20, his most in a Hood uniform, on 6-of-10 shooting. He also grabbed six rebounds and hit all six of his free throw attempts.
- Smalls scored 14 points thanks in part to a 4-for-5 night from behind the 3-point arc.
- Strickland came off the bench for 11 points.
- Mason Wang gave the Blazers four players in double figures with 10 points and Evan Wang had team-highs with seven rebounds and six assists.
How it Happened
- Smalls scored eight points as the Blazers started out hot, hitting four 3-pointers in a 14-5 run to start the game.
- Albright answered right back with an 18-4 run and took an 23-18 lead on a layup by Chris Kouemi with 10:28 left in the half.
- Butler twice game Hood the lead in the next eight minutes but Albright took another five-point lead on a Sidney Brown 3-pointer with 2:18 to go, 35-30.
- The Blazers closed the half with an 8-2 run, however, and led 38-37 after Strickland drove to the basket for the final score of the period with 27 seconds left.
- A Sean Miller layup and a Jordan Guerrero 3-pointer to start the half gave the Lions a 42-38 lead with 18:19 remaining. 3-pointers by Mason Wang and Smalls swung the lead back in favor of Hood, 44-42, with 16:41 on the clock.
- After Albright tied the score, an and-one layup by Butler made it 47-44. Albright followed that up with a 10-3 run to claim a 54-50 lead on two Guerrero free throws with 13:25 left.
- Hood did not lead again until a 3-pointer from Soren Almquist and a layup by Strickland made it 62-60 with 8:15 to play. The lead was immediately erased as Guerrero scored six of the next eight Albright points and the Lions led 68-65 at the 5:33 mark.
- Evan Wang tied the score with an and-one layup on Hood's next possession before Robert Mangrum knocked down a 3-point shot with 4:40 left for a 71-68 Albright lead.
- The Blazers' big men, Ryan Hollwedel and Almquist, teamed for five straight points swing the momentum back to Hood, 73-71 with 3:23 to go.
- Guerrero scored and was fouled to put the Lions ahead one last time before Butler went to the line and hit two for a 75-74 Blazer lead at 2:35. Smalls knocked down a 3-pointer on Hood's next possession and the Blazers took their biggest lead of the half with 1:46 left, 78-74.
- After Brown cut Hood's lead to two, another set of free throws by Butler made it 80-76 with only 25 seconds remaining. Mangrum gave Albright one last gasp with a 3-pointer 11 seconds later before Mason Wang sank two free throws to stretch it back to 82-79 with nine seconds left. Brown's 3-pointer at the buzzer was off.
Analysis
- Hood shot just 39 percent overall and 14-of-42 from 3-point range but used an 18-for-19 (95 percent) evening at the free throw line to claim the win.
- Albright hit 48 percent overall but was only 9-of-27 on 3-point field goals.
- The Blazers committed only 10 turnovers in the game and held a 16-9 edge in points off turnovers.
- For the Opponent
- Hood overcame a career-high 26 points from Guerrero. He went 9-of-10 shooting with three 3-pointers. Guerrero added a game-high nine rebounds and two blocks.
- Mangrum added 16 points and four assists, while Brown and Deion Booker scored 10 apiece.
Notes
- Hood's win improved the Blazers' record to 18-6 on the year, the most victories for the Blazers since the 2013-14 season.
- Albright closes the book on its year with a 10-15 mark.
