GETTYSBURG, Pa. – Hiram College knocked down eight three-pointers and hit over 55 percent of its shot attempts in the second half to hand Gettysburg College a 78-63 loss in the championship game of the Gettysburg Tip-Off Tournament inside Bream Gym Saturday.
 

                   
Gettysburg's Top Performers

• Avery Close '22 (Phoenixville, Pa./Phoenixville): 20 Points, All-Tournament Team
• Akim Joseph '25 (Port-au-Prince, Haiti/Notre Dame Fairfield): 12 Points
• Elijah Williams '23 (Washington, D.C./Sidwell Friends): 10 Points, 10 Rebounds
• Carl Schaller '25 (Garnet Valley, Pa./Garnet Valley): 5 Points, 4 Assists, 4 Steals
• Colin Farrell '25 (Matawan, N.J./Christian Brothers Academy): All-Tournament Team

 
Hiram's Top Performers

• Oliver Clingain: 18 Points, 12 Rebounds, Most Valuable Player
• Kevin Beans, Jr.: 14 Points, 7 Rebounds, 4 Assists
• Doug Sartain: 13 Points
• Spencer Willman: 11 Points
• Virgil Crawford: All-Tournament Team

 
Game Summary - First Half

• After dropping 20 points in an opening win over Mary Baldwin Friday night, Close continued to hold the hot hand for Gettysburg and tallied the first four points on Saturday, including a fastbreak dunk 57 seconds into the game.
• Hiram would grab the lead twice in the first half, first on a three-pointer by Beans, Jr. to make it 5-4 and then on another three by Sartain to pull in front 13-12. Gettysburg led 16-15 when Schaller dropped a pass to Close for a lay-in to kick-start a 7-0 run. A three-pointer by Jack Rooney Chatham, N.J./Chatham) made it 23-15 with 6:16 left.
• The Terriers chipped away at the deficit and hit 6-of-7 free throws to pull even at 33 with 61 seconds to go in the half. A pair of free throws by Williams and a thunderous jam by Joseph off a steal appeared to give the hosts some momentum heading into the locker room, but Tyler McMillion knocked down a three-pointer as time expired to trim the lead to just one (37-36).

 
Game Summary - Second Half

• Despite an opening bucket by Close, Hiram quickly surged in front with Brodgie Gordon starting the second-half three-point barrage to give the Terriers a 43-42 lead at 16:19. Gordon's shot initiated a 12-0 run that saw the visitors gain a 52-42 advantage with just over 14 minutes left in the game.
• A pair of free throws by Schaller trimmed the lead to 52-46, but the Terriers knocked down three-pointers on four consecutive possessions to surge in front 64-48. Hiram's final three-pointer of the game by Sartain extended the lead to 20 (73-53) with 4:36 remaining.

 
By the Numbers

• Hiram finished 13-of-29 (44.8 percent) from three-point land and 27-of-56 (48.2 percent) overall from the field. Gettysburg hit 22-of-54 (40.7 percent) of its shots. The Terriers held a 39-23 advantage on the boards.
• Close was named to the All-Tournament Team at Gettysburg's tip-off event for the third time in his career after posting 40 points in two games.
• Williams recorded his first career double-double with 10 points and 10 boards.

 
Where the Series Stands
With its win, Hiram evened the series with Gettysburg at 1-1. The only other time the Terriers and Bullets met prior to Saturday was also at the Gettysburg Tip-Off Tournament in 1999.
 
Next Up
Gettysburg faces Eastern Mennonite University in a non-conference game on Friday, Nov. 19, at 7 p.m.