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HAMPDEN-SYDNEY, Va. – Junior captain Jake Hahn/Ruckersville posted his eighth double-double this season with 14 points, including the go-ahead layup with 1:17 remaining, adding a game-high and career-high 16 rebounds, to lead Hampden-Sydney College to a thrilling 54-52 Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) basketball home win past nationally-ranked No. 21 Guilford (N.C.) College on Saturday afternoon at S. Douglas Fleet Gymnasium. Freshman Chase Turner/Virginia Beach added a career-high 13 points for the Tigers (7-5, 2-1), who rallied from a 22-18 halftime deficit to win their sixth consecutive game during the upset victory. Jaylen Gore scored a game-high 22 points for the visiting Quakers (10-3, 2-2), the defending ODAC Tournament Champions.
"Big league win tonight," said first-year head coach Caleb Kimbrough, a 2008 graduate of Guilford and former four-year standout for the Quakers, as well as a former assistant coach at his alma mater. "We knew we were really going to have to play with some fight tonight and I thought we did just that. Protecting home court in the ODAC is key and we are excited we were able to do that."
H-SC opened the contest with back-to-back three-point field goals from Turner and senior captain Kevin Quinn/Apex, N.C. to lead 6-2 at 15:45. Quinn's second three-pointer gave the Tigers their largest lead of the opening half at 13-7 with 7:37 on the clock. GC, however, responded with eight unanswered points to lead 15-13 at 3:09—Gore scored the last six of the points. A conventional three-point play inside by sophomore Jack Wyatt/Richmond gave the hosts a 16-15 advantage at 2:50, but the Quakers closed the half with a 7-2 run to lead 22-18 at the intermission—Gore scoring all seven of the points for the visitors.
GC scored the opening basket of the second half to take its largest lead during the closely-played contest at 24-18 with 19:23 on the clock. H-SC, however, answered with a quick 10-0 run to lead 28-24 at 17:13—getting three-pointers from Wyatt and Turner sandwiched around a layup by freshman Ryan Clements/Conyers, Ga. along with a jumper from Turner. Wyatt's jumper at 16:23 made it 30-26, but the Quakers again rallied with a quick 7-0 run to lead 33-30 with 15:16 remaining. Another three-pointer by Quinn tied it at 33-33 (14:51), a layup from Hahn tied it at 35-35 (13:48), a layup by Quinn tied it at 39-39 (10:37), another basket down low from Hahn tied it at 43-43 (7:36), and a three-pointer by Turner tied it at 46-46 (6:08)—starting a quick 7-0 run toward a 50-46 advantage with 4:34 left to play—Wyatt and Clements each scoring, as well. Gore made two free throws at 1:29 to tie it at 50-50, before Hahn's go-ahead layup at 1:17, followed by two game-securing free throws by Turner with 6.2-seconds on the clock. All told, the game featured nine ties and eight lead changes.
Hahn led H-SC with his 14 points, adding his game-high and career-high 16 rebounds for his eighth double-double in 12 games, along with three assists. Turner finished with his career-high 13 points, adding three assists, as well, for the Tigers. Wyatt had 12 points and four rebounds, Quinn added 11 points and four rebounds and Clements contributed four points, five rebounds and four assists. H-SC shot 42% (22-53) from the field, including 32% (7-22) on three-pointers, and 75% (3-4) at the free throw line. The Tigers enjoyed a 28-20 advantage in points scored in the paint, 12-9 in second chance points and 11-8 in bench points.
Gore led GC with his game-high 22 points, adding six rebounds and three assists. Kyler Gregory finished with 10 points and eight rebounds for the Quakers, while Liam Ward had 10 points and five rebounds. GC shot 33% (20-61) from the field, including 22% (5-23) on three-pointers, and 78% (7-9) at the line. The nationally-ranked Quakers had entered the contest after winning on the road at No. 2 Emory (Ga.) University 70-69 on Monday (December 30, 2019).
H-SC plays on the road at ODAC member Virginia Wesleyan University on Wednesday night, January 8, at 7 p.m. in Virginia Beach. The current six-game winning streak equals the program's longest since the 2015-16 campaign.
