Hampden-Sydney turns back Guilford men, 54-52

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HAMPDEN-SYDNEY, Va. – Jake Hahn's layup with 1:17 left in regulation gave host Hampden-Sydney College the lead for good in the Tigers' 54-52 upset of 21st-ranked Guilford College Saturday afternoon.

Hahn also secured a key rebound in the game's final minute, which led to two Chase Turner free throws with seven seconds left. Guilford's Jaylen Gore scored a layup with one second remaining to provide the game's final margin.

The Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) win marked the Tigers' (7-5, 2-1 ODAC) sixth straight victory and the first for first-year head coach Caleb Kimbrough against his former coach and alma mater. Kimbrough played four years for the Quakers (10-3, 2-2 ODAC) and also coached six seasons alongside Guilford boss Tom Palombo.

The tightly played contest saw nine ties and eight lead changes. Neither team led by more than six points. Both squads struggled to find the basket in the early going as the teams combined for just 24 points 16 minutes into the game. Gore's 15 points helped the Quakers to a 22-18 halftime lead.

A Kyler Gregory bucket started the second-half scoring and gave Guilford its largest lead of the game, 24-18, but it didn't last long as Jack Wyatt answered at the other end with a 3-pointer. The teams traded baskets and the lead all the way down to the final minute. Two Gore free throws tied the score at 50-50 with 89 seconds left in regulation, but 12 seconds later Hahn's layup put Hampden-Sydney ahead for good.

Gore's 3-pointer at the other end rimmed out, Hampden-Sydney's Ryan Clements secured the rebound and was quickly fouled. He missed the front end of a one-and-one opportunity and Guilford's Liam Ward cleared the rebound. Tyler Dearman had two shots sandwiched around a Ward offensive board in Guilford's next possession, but neither fell and Hahn rebounded the second miss for Hampden-Sydney. Forced to foul, Guilford sent Turner to the line where his two free throws iced the game.

Hahn paced four Tigers in double-figure scoring with 14 points and also grabbed a game-high 16 rebounds. Turner finished with 13 points and Wyatt chipped in 12. Kevin Quinn scored 11 points off the bench for Hampden-Sydney, which shot 51.7 percent from the floor in the second half and 41.5% for the game. Guilford managed just 32.8 percent field-goal shooting.

Gore matched his career high with a game-best 22 points and also had six rebounds. Gregory and Ward both scored 10 points. Gregory secured a team-high eight rebounds.

The Quakers visit another ODAC team coached by a former Guilford standout Tuesday (1/7) when they meet the Tyler Sanborn-coached Ferrum Panthers.