READING, Pa. – A last-second heave from Jevon Yarbrough (Williamsport, Md./Williamsport) fell short as the Hood College men's basketball team fell 78-76 to Middle Atlantic Conference Commonwealth opponent Albright on the road.

Inside the Box Score
Garrison Linton (New Market, Md./Oakdale) led the team with 17 points, nine rebounds, and six assists.

Garrett Cox (Glen Allen, VA/Glen Allen) finished the game with 16 points.

Yarbrough put up 14 points with 57 percent shooting.

How it Happened
Both squads grappled for momentum out the gate, as the Blazers built an 18-11 lead and looked to go on a long run, but the Lions would put up seven straight points to tie the game with just under 10 minutes to play.

After another back-and-forth for a few minutes, Hood found themselves behind 24-23 but rattled off a 17-7 run in five minutes to jump out to a nine-point lead with just over a minute left. Although Albright managed to make one more layup before time expired, the Blazers were in control with a 40-33 lead at halftime.

Momentum seemed to shift coming out for the second half, as the Lions started off with a 9-3 run to get within one, but timely shots from Cox and Troy Fulton (Denver, N.C./Lincoln Charter School) stretched Hood's lead back up to eight.

Although the Blazers kept their lead sizable, Albright slowly closed the gap as the half went on, tying the game at 58 with just over 10 minutes left.

Things turned into another dogfight from then on, with neither team able to get more than a two-possession lead. The Lions held a 78-74 lead with 38 seconds left after a deep ball from Cox, and although Hood was able to score and get possession back after Albright's free throw shooter missed the front end of their one-and-one, Yarbrough's buzzer-beater did not fall in his favor, finalizing the 78-76 loss.

"Can't beat many teams when you miss 24 shots in the paint", said head coach Chad Dickman after the game. "We have to finish inside and make better decisions around the rim, and we must find a way to maintain late leads. We've had a second half lead in every single game this season but haven't consistently put teams away at critical points. We gotta find a way to remedy this."
 
For the Opponent
Eric Chamberlain led the Lions with 18 points

Phanique Dupree finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds.

Analysis
Hood shot 39 percent from the field and 43 percent from three-point range, while Albright shot 42 percent from the field and 26 percent from beyond the arc.

The Lions outrebounded the Blazers 42-38.

Albright's bench outscored Hood's 34-23.

Notes
The Blazers fall to 9-5 (2-1) with their first conference loss of the season, while the Lions improve to 7-6 (2-1).

Up Next
Hood heads to St. Davids, Pennsylvania for a game against MAC Commonwealth opponent Eastern University Saturday, January 18 at 3 p.m.