HAMPDEN-SYDNEY, VA (December 30, 2007)�Hampden-Sydney College sophomore guardTurner King (Roanoke, VA/Roanoke Catholic) scored a career-high 36 points to lead the Tigers past Greensboro, 80-70, in the Championship game of the 2007 Weenie Miller Memorial Holiday Hoops Tournament. King was 5-of-7 from three-point range and 5-of-5 from the foul line. With the win, Hampden-Sydney improves to 4-1 overall, while the Pride drop to 5-5 on the season. In the Consolation game, Mississippi College defeated SUNY-Old Westbury, 97-78, to improve to 6-2 overall. The Panthers dropped to 4-7 overall.
Joining King in double-figures for the Tigers were a pair of senior forwards as Troy Kaase (Roanoke, VA/Cave Spring) and Tyler Murray (Atlanta, GA/Harrison) finished with 13 and 11 points respectively. Senior Drew Prehmus (Atlanta, GA/Wesleyan School) finished with nine points, four rebounds, and four assists. Adam Nicholson led the Pride with 19 points and four assists. Bruce Zamuel added 17 points, while Jason Sharpe scored 14 points.
In the first half, Hampden-Sydney opened the game on a 9-2 run to take an early advantage; however, Greensboro tied the game, 12-12, with 14:00 remaining in the first half. Both teams traded baskets over the next six minutes, but Greensboro was able to build a five-point advantage, 31-26, with 6:51 remaining. The Tigers would tie the game, 31-31, on a pair of free throws by Jyri Laakso (Oulu, Finland/Makelanrinne), but the Pride responded, building a four-point halftime advantage, 41-37.
In the second half, the Pride pushed their lead to eight, taking a 50-42 advantage with 16:18 remaining. King knocked down two back-to-back three-pointers to cut into the lead, and would take the lead, 53-50 on a three-point play by Kaase. Over the next four minutes, the game would see six lead changes and two ties before the Tigers took a 66-59 lead with 5:17 left to go. Greensboro cut the game to one-point, 67-66, with 2:41 remaining, but the Tigers sank their free throws down the stretch to go on for the 80-70 win.
The Tigers shot 41.1 percent (23-of-56) from the floor, made 8-of-22 (36.4%) from three-point range and dropped in 26-of-35 (74.3%) from the foul line. The Pride finished the game shooting 50.0 percent from the field, 44.4 percent from behind-the-arc, and 88.9 percent from the foul line. The Tigers only committed six turnovers compared to Greensboro's 12 giveaways.
Mississippi College defeated SUNY-Old Westbury, 97-78, as Prince Trotter finished with a game-high 25 points and eight rebounds. KiKi Christmas and Tyler Winford scored 16 and 14 points for the Choctaws respectively. The Panthers were led by Garthlette James, who scored 21 points, while Brandon Mays added 13 points.
The All-Tournament Team is as follows:
Garthlette James (SUNY-Old Westbury), Prince Trotter (Mississippi College), Bruce Zamuel (Greensboro), Adam Nicholson (Greensboro), and Troy Kaase (Hampden-Sydney). Hampden-Sydney's Turner King was the Holiday Hoops Tournament Most Valuable Player.
Hampden-Sydney returns to action on Tuesday, January 2, as the Tigers are set to face LaGrange College. The game is in LaGrange, GA with tip-off set for 2:00 pm. The game will be broadcast live on FM 95.7 WFLO and on the internet at www.hsc.edu/athletics.
