WINCHESTER, Va. – Visiting Hood College used a dominating performance in the paint to win the Body Renew Winchester Classic championship with a 71-68 victory over Shenandoah Saturday afternoon.
The Blazers (3-0) led by 11 points with 6:22 to play but had to hold on as Shenandoah (2-1) staged a furious rally.
SU scored 15 of the final 22 points of the game and was able to cut the deficit to just two, 70-68, following a pair of Jalyn Jarrett free throws with 17 seconds remaining to put itself in position to extend the contest.
The Hornets forced a turnover by tournament MVP Scott Bolen as Hood inbounded on the ensuing possession, but missed a 3-pointer with three seconds left and were forced to foul.
Bolen made one of two from the line, missing the second, and a ¾ court heave following a Shenandoah rebound hit the ceiling with .4 seconds to give the ball back to the Blazers.
After coach Rob Pryor's club scored the initial eight points of the game, Hood took a lead it would not relinquish thanks to a 9-0 run over a span of 2:09.
The Blazers outscored SU 42-23 in the final 16:11 of the first after giving up those first eight points and held a 42-31 lead at the break.
More than half of that total – 26 points – came from in the paint as Hood outscored SU in that area 26-10 and had a 14-2 advantage in second chance points.
The Blazers lead reached 13 points on two different occasions and was at least eight points until Shenandoah started its final push. That final run started on a Dalon McHugh free throw with 5:44 left and finished with a thunderous Derrick Perry dunk at 29 seconds.
Kaimonne Douglas and Malcolm Clark, who were both named to the All-Tournament team, led SU with 13 and 12 points, respectively.
Evan Bates had 10 points off the bench.
Tanner Ruths joined Bolen on the All-Tournament team for Hood. He had 12 points to 16 for Bolen.
HC outrebounded its hosts 46-32.
Shenandoah is back in action on Wednesday in a 2 p.m. non-league game at former USA South rival Methodist.
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