Winchester, Va.—For the second time in two seasons, the Shenandoah University men's basketball team defeated a nationally ranked opponent, securing a 99-89 victory over No. 24 Hood College at home on Tuesday night.
The Hornets (3-3) tied a program record for three-pointers made in a game with 15 and recorded their highest point total in a single game since 2017. With 6:24 left in the first half, Shenandoah trailed by 11 before cutting the deficit to four by halftime.
RECAP
Shenandoah started the game trailing 5-0, but Joseph Baldwin and Joshua Stephen quickly responded with back-to-back baskets, both assisted by Landon Russ, to tie the contest. Marcus NeSmith hit a three-pointer with 16:23 left in the first half to give the Hornets a 10-9 lead. However, seven minutes later, Shenandoah found itself down 33-22.
Facing an 11-point deficit, the Hornets rallied with five points from Stephen and an and-one conversion from Shamir Taylor to close the gap to five with 4:30 remaining in the half. Hood briefly extended its lead to nine, but Shenandoah closed the period strong with a jumper by Dorian Davis and a three-pointer by Stephen to trail by just four at the break.
In the second half, Shenandoah took the lead for the first time since early in the game when Taylor hit a jumper, putting the Hornets up 61-60 at the 15-minute mark. The teams exchanged baskets and found themselves tied at 65 with 12:50 remaining. Taylor then assisted Ellis Wright on a three-pointer, giving Shenandoah a three-point advantage. Hood countered to regain a 70-68 lead, but the Hornets surged back with consecutive buckets from Baldwin and Stephen to reclaim control.
Stephen drained his fifth three-pointer of the game with 3:09 remaining, giving Shenandoah a seven-point lead and tying the team record for threes made in a single game. Wright followed up with a mid-range jumper to extend the lead to 10 with less than 90 seconds remaining. Shenandoah sealed the victory by scoring its final seven points from the free-throw line.
Stephen led the Hornets with 26 points, one shy of his career high, while Wright added 20 points. Baldwin, Davis, NeSmith, and Taylor also reached double figures in scoring. Overall, Shenandoah shot 53.2% (33-62) from the field and an impressive 48.4% from beyond the arc.
UP NEXT
Shenandoah will rest over the Thanksgiving holiday before opening ODAC play against Randolph at home on Wednesday night.
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