FREDERICK, Md. - Hood College pushed top-ranked Randolph-Macon to the limit before the Yellow Jackets outlasted the Blazers in triple-overtime 80-78 in the championship game of the MMI Tip Off Tournament. 

It was the closest any opponent has come to snapping Randolph-Macon's 29-game win streak and Hood is the only foe to push the defending national champions to overtime.

Inside the Box Score

• Christopher Smalls (Washington, D.C./St. Andrew's Episcopal) and Will Pataki (Stafford, Va./Mountain View) each scored 18 points for Hood. Smalls hit 5-of-6 from the field, including 4-for-5 from 3-point range, and had seven rebounds and four steals. The point total was a new career-high for Pataki, who went 5-of-8 shooting, sinking 3-for-5 of his 3-point attempts. 
• Garrison Linton (New Market, Md./Oakdale) turned in his first career double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds to go along with four steals. The sophomore played 50 minutes.
• Jevon Yarbrough (Williamsport, Md./Williamsport) scored 10 points off the bench. 

How it Happened

• Hood trailed 77-73 with 31 seconds left in the third overtime after a jumper by Miles Mallory. Pataki pulled the Blazers back within a single point with a 3-pointer 16 seconds later to make it 77-76. 
• Hood was forced to foul and Vincent Payne hit both free throws with nine seconds to play. The Blazers opted for a quick two with Smalls going end-to-end to make it 79-78. Keishawn Pulley Jr. was fouled with 1.2 seconds to go and hit one for the game's final point. 
• After Hood scored last to force the first and second overtimes, it was the Yellow Jackets who needed to score to force the third extra period. The Blazers did all of their scoring in the second overtime at the free throw line with Linton, Pataki and Soren Almquist (Oakton, Va./James Madison) combining to go 6-for-7, resulting in a 69-63 Hood lead with 2:19 remaining. A Pulley foul shot and a jumper by Mallory made it 69-66 before Will Coble knocked down a 3-pointer with 34 seconds left to tie the score. 
• Pataki was the difference in the first overtime, hitting a 3-pointer with one second left to force the second overtime. Prior to Pataki's game-extending 3-point shot, neither team had hit a field goal since the 4:19 mark as the teams combined to make seven free throws during that span. 
• In regulation, Hood turned in an impressive start, limiting the Yellow Jackets to just 20 first half points on 7-for 31 shooting. 
• Ryan Hollwedel (Ellicott City, Md./Centennial) scored eight points during a 10-1 run over the final 4:41 of the half. The Blazers limited Randolph-Macon to 0-for-5 shooting with a pair of turnovers to head into halftime with a 29-20 lead. 
• Hood took its biggest lead, 37-26, on a pair of free throws by Pataki with 16:20 remaining in the second half. 
• Randolph-Macon responded with a 13-1 run over the next six minutes, forcing six Blazer turnovers, and took a 39-38 lead on a Kyle Keener jumper with 10:24 on the clock. 
• Hood trailed 54-50 via a lob from Josh Talbert to Mallory with just over two minutes left before the Blazers battled back. A layup from Linton and two more foul shots by Pataki tied the score with 38 seconds to go. Pulley was fouled and sank to free throws with nine seconds left. At the other end, Smalls was fouled with only two seconds to go and calmly hit both to force the first overtime. 

Analysis

• Hood held Randolph-Macon to only 11-for-41 from 3-point range (27 percent), while hitting 11-for-23 (48 percent). 
• The Yellow Jackets held the rebounding advantage 47-35 and held an 18-4 edge in second chance points. 
• Led by Pataki and Yarbrough, the Blazers' bench outscored their counterparts 35-25. 

For the Opponent

• Will Coble went 7-for-17 from 3-point range on his way to 26 points. The rest of Randolph-Macon's roster was an icy 4-of-24 from beyond the arc. 
• Pulley scored 21 points and added four steals.
• Mallory scored 18 points and grabbed a game-high 18 rebounds. 

Notes

• Hood finished the weekend 1-1. 
• Randolph-Macon improved to 2-0, winning the MMI Tip Off Tournament. 
• In the consolation game earlier in the day, Mary Baldwin defeated Goucher 66-57.
• Mallory was named the tournament's MVP and was joined on the all-tournament team by Coble. Smalls and Linton represented Hood, with Darrell Green (Goucher) and Jaden Ignacio (Mary Baldwin) also honored. 

Up Next 
Hood stays home to host Salisbury on November 16 at 7 p.m.