FREDERICK, Md. – The No. 17 Men's Basketball team advances to their first conference championship since the 2021-22 season with a program best 109-93 victory over the No. 4-seeded Golden Wolves of Alvernia in Woodsboro Bank Arena on Wednesday night. Hood will take on the No. 3 seed in York College of Pennsylvania on Saturday, February 28 at 3 p.m.
Inside the Box Score
Jevon Yarbrough (Hagerstown, Md./Williamsport) had 31 points along with 12 assists and eight rebounds. The 12 assists are the most in a conference playoff game.
Garrett Cox (Glen Allen, VA/Glen Allen) posted a double-double with 24 points and 11 rebounds including six triples.
Jude Huseby (Frederick, Md./Urbana) scored 18 and grabbed nine boards while dishing six assists of his own.
How it Happened
The Golden Wolves put up 14-11 run to start the game with the Blazers getting handsy at the bucket and forking over some free shots at the line with the Golden Wolves hitting their first four free throws.
Scoring runs by
Gage Linton (Ijamsville, Md./Oakdale) and
Jude Huseby (Frederick, Md./Urbana) swung the momentum back in Hood's favor but the defense could not hold Alvernia's Jayne Stanley down as he continued to respond with threes down the stretch to thin the Blazers lead to as little as four in the first half.
The nine three's hit in the first half for Hood couldn't have come at a better time especially from Cox late to keep the Golden Wolves off the doorstep. The hosts would hold a 50-40 lead into the half.
Cox right out the gate would sink a three with Mallory and Robinson copying to extend the lead to 15 and then 17 with a Yarbrough layup.
Now it was time to keep off the heat long enough to escape to the championship game, Mason Jones and Elijah Hamilton were able to cut the deficit to as close as nine points with less than four minutes to go.
Hood would prevail with the Yarbrough show as slick work in the paint was a quick response and the 1000 cuts from junior via the line would take the Golden Wolves right out of contention. Yarbrough would bury six free throws in 30 seconds to send Hood to Saturday.
Analysis
Hood took over the glass grabbing 44 boards compared to Alvernia's 24.
The Blazers went 22-for-26 from the line.
For the Opponent
Jayne Stanley hit seven triples on his way to 24 points.
Elijah Hamilton scores his 24 points via 10-for-16 points.
Notes
Hood continues to exceed their season best win total with a 23-3 overall record. This is their first postseason win since the 2021-22 season where they got the best of Eastern to take the MAC Commonwealth reign.
Alvernia finishes their season at 14-11.
Up Next
The squad will host their first MAC Commonwealth Championship Game on February 28
th with first tip set for 3 p.m. in a rematch with the York College of Pennsylvania Spartans in Woodsboro Bank Arena. After being swept in the previous season by the Spartans, the Blazers have swept the season series this year with their most recent win over two weeks ago in a low scoring 69-61 affair.
