By Piper Wright //
Hood College men’s basketball defeated York College, 103-98, in a double overtime thriller Saturday to clinch the MAC Commonwealth conference championship.
Junior guard Jevon Yarbrough led the team with a career-high 44 points. Junior Jude Huseby recorded his sixth double double of the season with 13 points and 14 rebounds.
“I’m happy for them, happy for our program,” coach Chad Dickman said. “We’re going to enjoy this for a few days.”
This is the first time the Blazers have won the MAC championship since the 2021-22 season.
“It was a roller coaster of emotions, there was a lot going on,” Yarbrough said. “But at the end of the day, I’m just so proud of my guys, and we accomplished the goal that we were working for all year.”
Yarbrough credited the team’s unity for its success. “I think that’s what kept us together, was just chemistry of the night,” Yarbrough said.
“Just a great job overall,” Dickman said. “Guys just staying locked in and just, you know, just not giving up.”
Regulation time ended with a replay review of whether Huseby was fouled after the clock expired. He made one of two free throws, tying the game 80-80 and sending it into overtime.
Both teams scored six points in the first five-minute overtime, forcing the second overtime.
The Blazers started the second overtime winning the tip-off and then outscored the Spartans 17-12, thrilling the packed Woodsboro Bank Arena.
The Blazers are now headed to the NCAA men’s basketball tournament with an even bigger goal in mind–winning a national championship.
“So as soon as we find out on Monday who we play, it’ll be 100% focused on that,” Dickman said. “And we’ll see if we can continue to make school history.”
The Blazers are looking to move forward on the biggest stage of Division 3 men’s basketball on March 6.
“Obviously, it’s a bigger stage, but at the end of the day, it’s just another basketball game,” Yarbrough said. “We’ll have tomorrow off, and then Monday, we’ll get back to it, the same thing as always, same consistency.”
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