WINCHESTER, Va. - Hampden-Sydney opened up its participation in the 2010 South Region Challenge with an 87-78 men's basketball victory over future ODAC foe Shenandoah University.

The Tigers (3-1) took a 34-26 lead into halftime against Shenandoah (1-4) and then outlasted the Hornets in a 105-point second half.

H-SC broke open a close game midway through the first with an 18-7 run that sandwiched intermission.

With Shenandoah leading 19-18 following a Mitch Dudley free throw, the Tigers scored eight straight points in a span of 1:46 to take a lead they would not relinquish.

With SU cutting the deficit to seven points, 39-32, at the 17:50 mark of the second, H-SC used another run to put the Hornets away.

This one, 12-1 in 3:36, gave Hampden-Sydney a 51-33 lead with 13:51 to play.

Shenandoah continued to battle and eventually brought it back to that same seven-point deficit, this time 57-50 following a Kevin Kline layup with just over eight minutes remaining, but could get no closer.

The Tigers led by at least seven points the rest of the way and pushed the advantage to as many as 13.

Guard Ben Jessee led the victors with 19 points while Harrison George added 18 points and 12 rebounds.

H-SC had a 40-26 advantage on the glass and held SU to just nine offensive rebounds. The Tigers also shot nearly 52 percent (29 of 56) from the field.

Dudley and Kline paced the hosts with 16 points, freshman Avery Green added 15 and Brandon Bryan 14.

The tournament concludes tomorrow when Hampden-Sydney takes on N.C. Wesleyan at 1 and Shenandoah faces Mary Washington at 3.

NCWC defeated UMW 91-87 in double overtime to start the tournament.