HAMPDEN-SYDNEY, VA (January 19, 2008)�Hampden-Sydney's basketball team dropped to 8-5 overall and 2-4 in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference as the Tigers fell to Randolph-Macon, 72-59, at S. Douglas Fleet Gymnasium on Saturday afternoon. The Tigers opened the game with a 13-0 lead and led by three points at halftime but eventually fell short against the Yellow Jackets. The Tigers were led by Turner King (Roanoke, VA/Roanoke Catholic) as the sophomore guard finished with a double-double with 21 points and ten rebounds. With the win, Randolph-Macon remains atop the ODAC standings with a 12-2 overall record and a 6-1 mark in the ODAC.

Hampden-Sydney opened the game on a 13-0 run in the first five minutes of the game, forcing a Randolph-Macon timeout. The Yellow Jackets would cut the lead to two points on a three-pointer by Andre Hunter, and Randolph-Macon took their first lead of the game, 22-21, at the 8:11 mark in the first half. Over the next five minutes, the two teams would trade baskets before Hampden-Sydney jumped out to a seven-point advantage, 33-26, a jumper by sophomore forward Karlis Trops (Riga, Latvia/Charlotte Latin). Randolph-Macon would close the half on a 4-0 run, but Hampden-Sydney held the 33-30 lead at halftime

Just one minute into the second half, Randolph-Macon took a 3-point lead on a David Carlson three-point basket. The Yellow Jackets took a ten-point lead, 47-37, at the 13:48 mark, but the Tigers answered with a 5-0 run on a Troy Kaase (Roanoke, VA/Cave Spring) lay-up and Turner King three-pointer. The Tigers would cut the lead to just two points on a jump shot by Jyri Laakso (Oulu, Finland/Makelanrinne), but the Yellow Jackets built an 11-point advantage, 61-50, on a pair of baskets by Justin Short and Jeremy Dixon with just 5:15 left to play. The Tigers got to within eight points on a three-pointer by senior guard Drew Prehmus (Atlanta, GA/Wesleyan School), but the Yellow Jackets made their free throws down the stretch to preserve the 72-59 win.

Hampden-Sydney had three players score in double-figures, led by King with 21 points, while Karlis Trops added a career-high 12 points. Also scoring in double-figures for Hampden-Sydney was Drew Prehmus as he finished with ten points. Randolph-Macon was led by Jordan Brown who scored 16 points, while David Carlson added 15 points. Justin Short and Jeremy Dixon finished with 14 points apiece.

The Tigers shot 38.5 (20-of-52) percent from the field, including 25.0 (6-of-24) percent from behind-the-arc, and 65.0 (13-of-20) percent from the charity stripe. Randolph-Macon finished the game at 49.0 percent from the field and 34.8 percent from three-point range. The Yellow Jackets connected on 73.7 percent of their free-throws. Randolph-Macon held a slight edge over Hampden-Sydney on the boards, 35-34.

The Tigers return to action at home on Wednesday, January 23, at 7:00 pm against the Lynchburg College Hornets at S. Douglas Fleet Gymnasium. Fans are encouraged to bring a donation for the Johns Hopkins Cancer Research Center in honor of Blake Herman. Come out and support the Tigers! Fans can also catch all the exciting hardwood action on WFLO 95.7 FM or www.hsc.edu.