FREDERICK, Md. — The University of Lynchburg men's basketball team picked up its first victory of the 2025-26 campaign Saturday afternoon, defeating Notre Dame (Md.) 77-67 in the consolation game of the Hood College Tournament.

Lynchburg (1-1) used a strong second-half surge to pull away, outscoring the Gators (0-2) 42-35 in the final 20 minutes and shooting 15-21 (71.4%) from the charity stripe after halftime.

Junior forward Elijah Thomas provided a spark off the bench, scoring 11 points on 4-of-7 shooting while adding 11 rebounds and a pair of steals.

Jamarcus Brown continued his early-season production with a team-high 15 points and seven boards.  Piercen Young also recorded a double-double with 11 points and ten rebounds.

The Hornet's domination on the interior proved to be a decisive factor in the affair, outscoring the Garors 44-24 in the paint and with a 50-28 advantage on the glass. Lynchburg's ability to keep possessions alive with offensive rebounds turned into 16 second-chance points.

Defensively, Lynchburg held Notre Dame to just 32% shooting from the field and 24% from beyond the arc, while forcing 13 turnovers. Chandler Johnson led the Falcons with a game-high 20 points.

Lynchburg returns to the Hill City for its home opener on Wednesday, Nov. 13, hosting Pfieffer in Turner Gymnasium at 4 p.m.

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--LYN--