FREDERICK, Md. – The men's basketball team uses a packed Woodsboro Bank Arena and strong defensive play to outlast conference rival York in another classic 69-61 on Saturday afternoon.
Inside the Box Score
Kullen Robinson (Alexandria, Va./Alexandria City) scores 20 points to lead the Blazers.
Jevon Yarbrough (Hagerstown, Md./Williamsport) put up 17 points and 12 rebounds in his fifth double double of the season.
Jude Huseby (Frederick, Md./Urbana) notches 16 points, nine rebounds and a pair of steals.
How it Happened
In the most anticipated matchup of the year, the vault was pack with faithful Blazers and well-traveled Spartans.
Garrett Cox (Glen Allen, VA/Glen Allen) has been a familiar suspect to play a main role in this game in the paint took his talents outside the arc and pulled two triples on back-to-back possessions. Yarbrough would burst for eight points and gave Hood a 16-6 lead.
The visiting Spartans were limited to tough plays along the offensive baseline to score their first points.
Hood then fell into turnover trouble via ball handling and were bodied on the glass, but the game stayed tight due to York's inefficiency beyond the arc (an 0-for-15 start) and the 10 personal fouls.
Robinson chipped away at the Spartan defense and was Hood's leading scorer when someone needed to step up in the three-point drought for the team the Blazers became a part of after a hot start. He showed an array of ways to score in the paint from downhill running to lay it in or a one-handed bank shot to get the job done.
The Blue & Grey defense had held York's leading scorer Rowe to a quiet first half but he made his presence known with a couple of blocks off the glass and pressure in the paint. The scoring part of his game picked up in the second half with a quick bucket followed by a jumped pass and a dunk to follow to pirate the game from a Blazers squad that had led for the entirety.
The final minutes required all hands on deck, contributions from all parties to be able to keep York Pa. in check. The play of
Jude Huseby (Frederick, Md./Urbana) and
Garrett Cox (Glen Allen, VA/Glen Allen) combatted the physicality the team faced all night to create strong offensive possessions.
The squad would carry only a five-point lead into the final two minutes as Tate Landis would break the drought from deep by hitting two on back-to-back possessions.
Along with the guys on the floor, time played good defense too as a crucial possession for the Blazers resulted in a missed three-pointer but in the grasp of Huseby to drop it off back in the bucket to go up 65-58 with 1:40 to go. Hood would juice the clock and up have to knock down some free throws to close the case against a good Spartan team.
"Not a pretty game on either side, but you have to be able win a few ugly ones here and there," said head coach
Chad Dickman.
"We've preached to the guys all year that we're going to have to beat good teams when we have off-shooting nights thanks to their efforts, and that comes down to defense and rebounding. And I thought those two things saved us tonight. Great teams find a way to win, so I'm very happy to come out of that game with a W."
Analysis
Neither team produced from beyond the arc, York shooting 6-for-38 while Hood shot 7-for-25.
The Blazers out rebounded in both halves, 50-40 in total.
For the Opponent
Jayden Rowe scores 24 points and collects nine rebounds and four blocks.
Tate Landis hit four triples on the afternoon.
Notes
Hood improves to 19-2, 10-0 in conference as they continue to control their own destiny in the MAC Commonwealth.
York falls to 16-5, 6-4 in conference play and sit in third place.
Up Next
The squad travels to Alvernia on Wednesday, February 11 with tipoff set for 7 p.m.. The Blazers only led by one at half in the last matchup but shot 60-percent to outlast he Golden Wolves 104-94 in Woodsboro Bank Arena.
