FREDERICK, Md. - Hood College's Will Spencer (Davidsonville, Md./Boys' Latin School) tipped away a lob on an inbounds play with 2.1 seconds left and Messiah was unable to get off a clean shot as the Blazers held on for a 71-69 win in Middle Atlantic Conference Commonwealth men's basketball. 

Inside the Box Score 

• Garrison Linton (New Market, Md./Oakdale) had a strong all-around performance with 16 points, nine rebounds and six assists. The sophomore went 6-for-12 from the floor. 
• Christopher Smalls (Washington, D.C./St. Andrew's Episcopal) finished with 12 points and added two steals. 
• Jevon Yarbrough (Williamsport, Md./Williamsport) came off the bench to score 10 points on 4-of-8 shooting. 

How it Happened 

• Spencer scored off an assist by Linton with 46 seconds left to give Hood a 71-64 lead. 
• Messiah's Tyler Penley was fouled at the other end and sank two free throws to make it a two-possession game with 34 seconds remaining. 
• Penley struck again, hitting a 3-poitner after the Blazers missed a pair of free throws, cutting Hood's lead to 71-69 with 17 seconds to go. 
• The Blazers again missed a pair of free throws, giving the Falcons a final chance. Hood double teamed Penley in the corner, forcing Messiah to call timeout with 2.1 seconds left. After the timeout, Bryce Coletti tried to lob the inbounds pass to Dylan Cuperus. The pass got over the outstretched arms of one defender, but Spencer tipped the ball away and Jack Fricka (Alexandria, Va./West Potomac) got a second deflection to preserve the victory. 
• Trailing 47-46 with 11:50 to play, Spencer sparked a 12-2 run over a span of five minutes with an and-one layup. Hood went 8-for-9 at the free throw line in the run, including two by Linton that made it 57-48 with seven minutes left. 
• From there, Hood led by between five and nine points the rest of the way until Penley's 3-pointer in the closing seconds made it a two-point game. 
• The Blazers jumped ahead 24-15 with 4:42 left in the first half behind eight points from Smalls. 
• Messiah closed the half with a 17-6 run to take a 32-30 lead into the break. 

Analysis

• Hood committed just seven turnovers in the game and held a 16-2 advantage in points off turnovers. 
• Both teams shot 38 percent in the contest. 
• Messiah connected on 12 shots from 3-point range, while the Blazers' typically reliable 3-point attack made just four in the game. 
• Led by Yarbrough, Hood's bench outscored the Messiah's reserves 29-8. 

For the Opponent

• Penley turned in a big double-double with 27 points and 13 rebounds. 
• Coletti and Evan Parker scored 12 points apiece and Coletti had five assists. 

Notes

• Hood has won five in a row and seven of eight to improve to 14-8 overall and 8-5 in the MAC Commonwealth. 
• Messiah slipped to 9-12 on the season and 4-8 in the conference. 

Up Next
The Blazers are idle until Feb. 11 when they head to Widener for another MAC Commonwealth clash.