Lynchburg, Va. -- University of Lynchburg men's basketball turned in an instant classic Tuesday night with a 67-64 win over Hampden-Sydney.
The Hornets kept the game close out of the gate but trailed in the opening minutes until Alex Fitch tied the game up with a 3-pointer on an assist from Dow Dunton at the 11:57 mark.
T.C. Thacker, who received a commemorative ball celebrating his 1,000th-career point before the game, gave the Hornets a 13-11 lead with a dunk.
However, the Tigers ripped off a 10-0 run after Thacker's jam. The Hornets struggled from deep in the first and only knocked down two deep balls.
Hampden-Sydney made four 3s in the first and shot 47.1% (16-34) from the floor taking a 36-22 lead into the break.
The Tigers earned their largest lead 1:22 into the second half, and the Hornets needed to mount an 18-point comeback to prevent a second conference loss at home.
Isräel Lockamy set up Kavon James twice for 3-pointers early on in the second as the comeback began. Lockamy finished the game with eight points.
While Lockamy and James got the ball rolling in the second, Fitch fully ignited the comeback and brought Turner Gym to its feet several times. The place was packed for the CODE RED Game, but according to Fitch, he felt comfortable with all those eyes on him.
The junior started to heat up with a layup at the 11:30 mark and closed the gap to 48-41.
A minute later, Fitch started raining 3s.
"My teammates were setting great screens for me and they were finding me in rhythm," Fitch said. The Ashburn, Va.-native sank four 3-pointers on assists from Dunton and Noah Bullock.
"It was a great feeling," Fitch said. "It felt really good to knock down some shots and my teammates never lost confidence in me."
His fifth make from downtown cut Lynchburg's deficit to 57-55 with 5:39 to play.
The Tigers kept pace over the next three minutes and rebuilt a six-point lead with 2:10 to play.
The Hornets nearly came back but the game was quickly slipping away from them again.
Fitch revealed a quote that head coach Hilliary Scott put on a white board in the locker room.
"Coach Scott put a quote on the board that says, 'the wolf climbing up the mountain is hungrier than the wolf at the top.' So that's been our mantra all year. We just grind it out and it will all fall together in the end."
Things did work out for Fitch and the Hornets as they held H-SC scoreless in the final 2:10.
Lynchburg made two shots and four free throws in the final stretch to steal the game away and climb the mountain. Tharon Suggs hit the biggest shot of the night with 0:08 remaining as he pulled up from the free throw line and sank the go-ahead shot.
"I knew he was going to hit the game winner," Fitch said. "When Suggs touches the ball it's game over."
It indeed was "game over" as Thacker sank two free throws to seal the game and he earned his 14th double-double and fifth 20-plus point game of the year.
Fitch ended the game with 19 points on 5-10 (50%) shooting from downtown.
Thacker, Fitch, and Suggs all turned in heroic performances during the 18-point comeback win over Hampden Sydney as the Hornets have won two-straight home games on Wayne Proffitt Court in comeback fashion.
Lynchburg's (12-6, 6-3) next test is Thursday, Feb. 3 against Ferrum back in Turner Gymnasium.
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--LYN--