WINCHESTER, Va. – The Shenandoah University men's basketball team earned its first season-opening tournament championship in nine years Saturday night with a 76-71 BB&T Tip-Off championship game victory over Hood College.
Shenandoah (2-0), which restarted the BB&T Tournament last year after a five-year hiatus, downed former USA South rival Methodist on Friday and Hood (1-1) today to earn its first BB&T title since winning the 2004 crown with a win over Lincoln University.
Avery Green led the Hornets to the title with a pair of 29-point performances; Saturday, he was 11 for 16 from the field and 6 of 10 from the line in 36 minutes of action to lead SU to the victory.
Leading 72-69 with 34 seconds remaining, Green calmly drained a pair from the line to effectively seal the victory.
Hood, which had led by six points as late as the 4:51 mark, would only score two points the rest of the way.
Shenandoah found itself down by that six-point margin following a Cameron Cook 3-pointer at the 4:51 mark.
Green answered with a 3-ball of his own on the next trip down the floor and after a trade of four scoreless possessions, Jared Carithers hit a fast break layup for the victors with 2:57 to play to cut the deficit to just one, 67-66.
SU, which forced six of the Blazers 17 turnovers on the night, got the possession back on a Green steal that eventually led to a pair of Shaquille Rodney free throws with 2:28 remaining.
The Hornets would not trail again.
The game, which saw 12 ties and 13 lead changes, was tied one last time on a Justin Bowens 3-pointer at the 2:21 mark.
Green finally put SU in front to stay with a two successful free throws with 1:33 left.
Junior Xavier Alston, who joined Green on the All-Tournament team, had two of his 10 rebounds and the last of his five blocks in the last 37 seconds of the game.
In addition to Green's 29 points, Jared Carithers added 20.
Alston and Jimi Starks both had 10 boards for the SU.
Hood had a 55-42 advantage on the glass.
Shenandoah is back in action on Friday and Saturday at the South Region Challenge hosted by Hampden-Sydney.
SU takes on Mary Washington and N.C. Wesleyan in the classic format tournament.
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