By Charles Baynum//
Hood College opened its 2025–26 men’s basketball season with two wins at the Rotary Club of Frederick Tip-Off Tournament, defeating Notre Dame of Maryland University and nationally ranked Catholic University over the weekend at Woodsboro Bank Arena.
Hood began tournament play Friday night with a 108–72 win over Notre Dame of Maryland. The Blazers had four players score in double figures and built a comfortable lead early.
Jevon Yarbrough led the team with 19 points and four assists, while Karron Mallory added 17 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Garrett Cox finished with 16 points and seven rebounds on 7-for-8 shooting from the field.
After an even start, Hood began to pull away midway through the first half with efficient shooting and strong rebounding. The Blazers controlled the offensive glass with a 17–6 advantage and used second-chance points to extend the margin.
By halftime, they led by 30 and never looked back. The team’s bench contributed 38 points, helping maintain the pace through the second half.
Notre Dame’s Ricardo Ross scored 14 points, and Marlon Lewis added 10 points and nine rebounds.
On Saturday, Hood earned a 109–108 overtime win against No. 22 Catholic to claim the tournament title. Yarbrough scored a career-high 32 points to lead the Blazers. Kullen Robinson added 25 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks, and Jude Huseby posted 13 points and a team-high 14 rebounds.
Catholic’s Brian Herbert, CJ Ruoff and Peter Gellene combined for 83 points. The Cardinals hit three consecutive 3-pointers early in the second half to gain the lead, but
Hood responded by attacking inside and converting 18 free throws.
In the final minute of regulation, Catholic led by one when Yarbrough intercepted an inbound pass and scored to tie the game. Hood outscored the Cardinals in overtime, with Robinson adding seven points to help secure the win and tournament championship
I think we played really well over the weekend and we showed that we can compete with the best of the best,” said Huseby. “For the rest of the season, our focus is to just be tougher than any team we play against, and the expectation is to win a championship.”
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