By Piper Wright and Aaron Heller//
Hood College men’s basketball won the second round of the NCAA tournament game Saturday, beating No. 9 University of Redlands, 114-104, to advance to the Sweet 16.
The Blazers started off strong and led 56-53 at halftime. Junior guard Jevon Yarbrough helped the Blazers’ first-half success by tallying 19 points.
Early foul trouble in the second half forced the Blazers to transition to a smaller lineup after graduate student Garrett Cox and sophomore Jake Bolyn fouled out of the game.
This didn’t stop the Blazers’ offensive success as Hood never gave up the lead in the second half, fighting off a Redlands’ scoring push that brought the Bulldogs to within one, before the Blazers pulled away.
Yarbrough led the Blazers with 42 points on 61% shooting. Kullen Robinson scored 24 on 56% shooting and grabbed 12 rebounds. Jude Huseby had 11 rebounds. Bolyn came off the bench hot, making all four shots and scored 10 points.
The Blazers’ bench outscored the Bulldogs’ bench 19-18. Hood also outshot the Bulldogs 52% to 36%.
The Blazers will take on No. 1 Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, next weekend. “We’re excited,” Yarbrough said. “I think everybody has all really bought into this year.”
“We’ve been talking about getting in the national picture, making a name for ourselves, and we’re trying to get a program that could at least have the potential to win a national championship,” coach Chad Dickman said.
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