WINCHESTER, Va. – The 10-day hiatus did not treat the No. 24 Men's Basketball team well as Shenandoah shot over 50 percent to keep the heat on the Blazers and deliver the upset 99-89 on Tuesday night.
Inside the Box Score
Garrison Linton (New Market, Md./Oakdale) recorded a double-double with 19 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists.
Troy Fulton (Denver, N.C./Lincoln Charter School) hit five three-balls on the night to finish with 15 points.
Jack Fricka (Alexandria, Va./West Potomac) grabbed nine boards and dished four assists.
How it Happened
Dominance in the paint was shown by the squad in Blazer blue with constant contact and speed to finish with buckets by Linton and then
Karron Mallory (Manchester, Pa./Northeastern) driving to the basket to fuel Hood's exchange in baskets with Shenandoah.
Defensive strategy was in play forcing the opposition in the midcourt to make poor decisions and for the Blazers to cash in. However, with the rate that Shenandoah would be finding the open man in tight coverage and making the basket became trouble.
One hard-earned bucket on one end was exchanged with a well-executed shot and make by the other and as a Blazer 11-point lead in the first half only remained as four by the end.
In the second, the three kept the Blazers on pace with fastbreak buckets by Fulton and Mallory that kept the game that felt like it was in grasp close.
Hood's foul trouble halfway through the second would put the Hornets on the line and chip away on momentum. Establishing offensive runs were stifled by fouls and stopping the game flow.
The well had run dry as missed attempts by Hood were turned into points for Shenandoah's Stephen via isolation shots he was hitting the entire evening whether that was behind the arc or one-handed floaters in the paint.
"We just got outplayed tonight," said head coach
Chad Dickman. "Credit to them as they shot lights out and we weren't able to adjust enough to force misses."
The press on the inbound kept the pressure on the Hornets in the final minutes with hazardous play in the midcourt but when broken Ellis Wright of Shenandoah would take his position in the corner and bury threes to put the game away.
Analysis
Shenandoah shot 53 percent from the field on the night, over 50 percent in each half.
Shenandoah also hit 15 threes, shooting a 48 percent clip on the night.
The Blazers shot 45 percent from the field, 35 percent from three in a night that even if it wasn't their worst shooting night of the season it didn't match the opposition.
For the Opponent
Joshua Stephen led the Hornets with 26 points while shooting 8-of-14 from the field.
Ellis Wright followed with 20 points of his own.
Notes
Hood drops to 4-1 on the season.
Shenandoah evens out at 3-3 with the win.
Up Next
The squad continues on the road to head coach
Chad Dickman's alma mater in Saint Vincent College this Saturday, November 30 to take on the Bearcats with a 3 p.m. tip-off.
