HAMPDEN-SYDNEY, Va. – The University of Redlands Men's Basketball team (7-1) won their second consecutive game over a Top-25 team edging No. 16 Hampden-Sydney College (H-SC) 91-90 Saturday afternoon in Virginia during the Elder, Friedman & Allen Holiday Classic.
Cam Brown (Bakersfield, CA) and Jhace Boston (Bakersfield, CA), an all-tournament selection, found Donovan Ware (Palmdale, CA) and tournament Most Valuable Player (MVP) Lucas Gordon (San Marcos, CA) for three-pointers and an early five-point U of R lead, 9-4.
H-SC stormed back to take the lead, 18-17, at the 13:28 mark, but Redlands never fell behind by any more than two points the remainder of the half. Over the final 13 minutes there were 12 ties as the two Top-20 teams were deadlocked at 48-48 at the half.
The Tigers started the second half with nine of the first 13 points holding their largest lead of the game at three, 55-52, with just over three minutes off the clock.
Boston countered with a jumper in the paint before Brown had four points off two fastbreak opportunities, giving Redlands a three-point lead, 58-55.
The advantage then grew to five, 70-65, at the 10:41 mark thanks to an Omari Ferguson (Chicago, Ill.)-assisted, Gordon three-pointer.
H-SC, though, responded with seven unanswered over the next minute as the lead switched hands to the Tigers.
Six minutes later with the game tied at 80-80, the Tigers made another three before Jake Hlywiak (Valencia, CA) found Chozen Amadi (Richardson, TX) to tie things up at 83-83 with 3:02 left.
With under a minute left in the game Gordon then grabbed an offensive rebound and went back up to give Redlands the lead, 89-87. After a Bulldog timeout, H-SC hit a three with :28 seconds on the clock, forcing Redlands to counter down one, 90-89.
The first game-winning attempt came from Boston who had his shot blocked, but it was Gordon once again on the offensive glass, tipping the ball back to the rim, which went in with five seconds to play puitting UR back in front by one.
The Tigers got a three-point look in the final second, but it was off the mark and the Bulldogs secured a big true road win.
Following game one where he fouled out in 15 minutes, Gordon came back with a vengeance finishing with 29 points and 10 rebounds totaling 12 field goals, five which came from deep. Boston added 18 points, four rebounds, and three assists.
The key team stats were the eight fewer Bulldog turnovers as they gave it away only eight times to the 16 by the Tigers. Those additional possessions gave Redlands 15 more field goal attempts, which was important as they shot 47.9 percent from the field in comparison to the 55.2 percent from H-SC. Redlands was also plus 15 from behind the arc.
After an off week, the Bulldogs make a short trip to Las Vegas for the D3hoops.com Classic where they will play the Milwaukee School of Engineering and University of Mary Hardin-Baylor on December 29 and 30. Both games taking place at South Pointe Arena.
