HAMPDEN SYDNEY, Va. -- The University of Lynchburg men's basketball team dropped a tightly contested ODAC road matchup Saturday afternoon, falling 87-81 to Hampden-Sydney at S. Douglas Fleet Gymnasium.
The Hornets (9-7, 4-3 ODAC) and Tigers (10-5, 4-2 ODAC) traded punches throughout a back-and-forth first half that featured eight ties and frequent lead changes. Lynchburg shot an even 50 percent from the field before the break and went into halftime within striking distance, trailing by just a few possessions.
Junior forward Jamarcus Brown led the way for the Hornets, posting a game-high 21 points on 8-of-13 shooting while adding five rebounds and a steal. Guards Jesse Mitchell and Michael Gray each chipped in 18 points, with Gray knocking down two triples and Mitchell going a strong 7-of-10 from the free-throw line to notch a season-high performance. Piercen Young contributed 10 points and a team-best five assists.
Lynchburg opened the contest on a strong note, leading by seven through the first nine minutes of action. The two teams then traded the lead for the remainder of the first half, fueled by 15 first-half points from Brown.
The Hornets found their rhythm offensively in the second half, erupting from beyond the arc with seven three-pointers. Lynchburg also capitalized at the foul line, going 14-of-17 in the second half and finishing 20-of-25 from the stripe.
Hampden-Sydney was paced by a balanced attack, led by Shane Fernald and Peyton Moye with 19 points apiece. Santana Lynch added 10 points, while Travis Stickney chipped in 11 to help fuel a strong bench performance that proved to be the difference. The Tigers finished with a 42-24 advantage on the glass and scored 59 bench points.
The Tigers recaptured the lead early in the second frame and ballooned their advantage to 11 points with just over five minutes remaining.
Despite a late push by Lynchburg that cut the deficit to single digits, Hampden-Sydney sealed the victory with a three-pointer from Colin Radcliffe with 18 seconds remaining to extend the lead to six.
The Hornets will look to bounce back as ODAC play continues next week at home with a Code Red affair against Roanoke.
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