FREDERICK, Md. – Alvernia hit 17 three pointers to keep the heat on the Blazers before
Garrett Cox (Glen Allen, VA/Glen Allen) hits the game-winner at the buzzer to finish the final regular season home game in Woodsboro Bank Arena 90-88 on Tuesday night.
Inside the Box Score
Garrison Linton (New Market, Md./Oakdale) marked his fourth double-double of the season with 22 points on 10 boards and six assists.
Kullen Robinson (Alexandria, Va./Alexandria City) scored 20 points and eight rebounds.
Cox finished with 12 points and five rebounds.
How it Happened
With the guys losing three of their last four heading into crunch time, urgency set in. Linton looked to go to the basket and score no matter what efficiency, as Hood ranks at the top of the nation. The reverse layup, turnaround jump shot, and the full steam ahead options were open.
The defensive scheme to stop Alvernia's Jakob Kelly was effective as he would be ineffective with his pump fakes after the trapping defense of the Blazers. The problem was Janye Stanley, that found space outside the arc to hit Hood where it hurts.
Hood's perimeter became soft and Alvernia shot 60 percent from three and would bury them at a faster rate than the Blazers could keep up. Closeout defense by Elijah Hamilton and Jakob would prove six blocks on the night and keep the Blazers out of easy buckets.
The Blue & Grey held out with their ability to draw fouls and grab boards to keep pace but found themselves in familiar territory of their last three conference losses.
With the three netted by Alvernia's Stanley right in front of their bench, it looked like that could've been the dagger in this one with a seven-point lead with less than three to go in the fourth.
Linton on the fastbreak on a mission got fouled and drained his share of free throws to bring the Blazers within two baskets. Fricka in pursuit came up with a steal deep into Alvernia's offensive territory and when the Blazers couldn't convert on a layup, he fought for the jump ball resulting in another steal.
Robinson would find Mallory for his signature 30-foot jumper and that would be netted to draw within two at 88-86. Fricka would find his third steal of the quarter on the inbound and Robinson would end up getting fouled and making a free throw to put the Blazers within one.
The Golden Wolves would break the press and chew precious clock and leave only 5.3 remaining in regulation after the foul. Alvernia would fail to convert on the one-and-one and the Blazers had one crack at winning the game with the entire length of the floor to go.
With Fricka on the inbound, all eyes of the defense were on a sprinting Linton looking to outrun his man. Cox received the ball and with all the open space he decided to run the floor and take the potential game winner.
The heavily contested three made it off the finger tips and found backboard, then rim, then out for backboard again, before settling in the bucket. Cox had laid on the hardwood in result of the contact on the shot and the first person to greet him was head coach
Chad Dickman to pat him on the chest before the team and fans met him in pandemonium.
"The great energy on the court, on the bench, up 8, down 8…just high intensity throughout," said Dickman.
"We could've packed it in with a minute left, but we weren't willing to let that game get away. Big time shot by Garrett, but we had other guys making huge plays late to put us in that position.
Garrison Linton (New Market, Md./Oakdale) played like the all-conference player he is, setting the tone for us."
Analysis
The Blazers outrebounded 42-34.
Alvernia shot 61 percent from three in the second half, 59 percent from the field.
For the Opponent
Jayne Stanley scored 37 points, hitting nine triples on the night.
Notes
Hood improves to 16-8, 9-4 in the conference and clinched a playoff spot. The Blazers await to see how the seeding plays out; they currently sit at the No. 3 seed.
Alvernia drops to 15-9, 7-6 in conference sitting at the No. 4 seed in threat of losing their spot to a trailing Widener team.
Up Next
The squad will travel to first place York College of Pennsylvania for the regular season finale on Saturday, February 22 with a 3 p.m. tip-off.
