FREDERICKSBURG, Va. – No. 23 Hampden-Sydney used a dominant rebounding edge to down Shenandoah University 89-67 in the opening game of the 2011 South Region Challenge Saturday afternoon at Mary Washington.

The Tigers (3-1) outrebounded future ODAC rival Shenandoah (0-3) 42-31 in the contest played at the Anderson Center on the UMW campus.

The Hornets actually matched H-SC on the boards in the second half, with each team grabbing 21, but Hampden-Sydney extended its six-point halftime advantage thanks to SU coming back to earth with its second-half field goal percentage.

Shenandoah found itself down just six, 38-32, at the break despite being outrebounded 21-10 in the opening 20 minutes due to a sizzling 60 percent (12 for 20) shooting performance from the field that included 3 of 4 (75 percent) from behind the arc.

SU still shot a respectable 41 percent (11 of 27) in the second half, but was held to just one field goal (by Justin Long at 18:15) in the initial 8:14 after the break.

Hampden-Sydney extended its lead from the halftime six to 21 points in this span before Avery Green finally snapped the dry spell with a layup at 11:46.

This 19-point deficit would be as close as the Hornets would get in the remainder of the contest – the Tigers eventually pushed the advantage out to 27 points before coasting home to the 22-point victory.

H-SC, which did not play pre-season All-America Harrison George in the first, got 11 points from Khobi Williamson and nine from Ben Jessee to take that six-point halftime advantage.

Jessee led the victors with 15 with Williamson adding 14.

Green and Nick Brown had 11 each for the Hornets.

Shenandoah completes play in the challenge with a 3:00 game Sunday against host Mary Washington.

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