NORFOLK, VA – Hampden-Sydney Basketball led by 13 points with 16:09 left in the game, but Virginia Wesleyan came back to win the game 66-63 on Wednesday evening.

The Tigers got the game off to a good start, using an 8-0 run to go up 12-4 with 15:29 to go until halftime. The Marlins scored the next seven points to get within one, and it was a one-possession game up until the final ticks of the half.

After Virginia Wesleyan went up 21-18 with 3:45 to go, the Tiger defense locked them up the rest of the half. A Leon Hargrove (Raleigh, NC / Middle Creek) jumper on the next possession drew the Tigers within one, and a Khobi Williamson (Norfolk, VA / Maury) hook shot at 1:27 gave Hampden-Sydney a 22-21 lead. H-SC then closed out the half by forcing two VWC turnovers, along with a Greg Lewis (Mechanicsville, VA / Hanover) jumper and a Hargrove three pointer at the buzzer to put the Tigers up 27-21 heading into halftime.

Hampden-Sydney opened the second half much the same way as the first, scoring the stanza's first seven points to jump ahead 34-21 with 16:09 remaining in the contest. Williamson then drew his second and third fouls just seven seconds apart, and the Marlins went on a 23-4 over the next seven minutes to surge ahead 44-38.

The Tigers scored the next six points to tie the game at 44-44 with 7:13 to go. The teams continued to trade the lead and tie the game with neither squad jumping ahead by more than three until a Sedric Nady three-point play put the hosts up 56-51 at the 3:33 mark. Virginia Wesleyan maintained a four-point advantage with 1:53 left, but the Tigers cut the deficit down to one following a Williamson free throw and a Mike Murray (Norfolk, VA / Maury) steal and layup, making it a 57-56 VWC lead with 1:16 remaining.

Virginia Wesleyan called for a timeout, and DJ Woodmore came out of it to drain a tough, contested step-back three-pointer to give the Marlins a 60-56 advantage with 48 seconds left. Williamson drew the Tigers within two on a jumper off an offensive rebound, but H-SC was forced to foul and Khory Moore put the Marlins back ahead by four, 62-58, with 26 ticks to go. Williamson drained another jumper, but Moore answered it with two more free throws to keep the four-point lead with 10 seconds left. JaVonte Reddick (Richmond, VA / L.C. Bird) converted a three pointer with three seconds left but could not get a steal on the inbounds pass as Woodmore made two free throws to finish the game.

Williamson led the Tigers with 19 points and 10 rebounds as he shot 9-11 from the field. Murray added 15 points while Hargrove contributed nine points, four rebounds, and four assists.

Moore paced the Marlins with 20 points, six rebounds, and three steals, and Woodmore posted 19 points.

Virginia Wesleyan shot 45.8% while Hampden-Sydney was 42.9%. Neither team shot well from three range, but VWC made seven three pointers compared to just three for H-SC. H-SC had 11 turnovers and forced 16, but the Marlins scored 17 points off turnovers compared to 11 for the Tigers. 

Hampden-Sydney hosts Washington & Lee University on Saturday at 2 pm for Senior Day.