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Vick earns first head coaching win as H-SC breaks out of shooting slump LaGRANGE, GA (November 22, 2008)—Hampden-Sydney head basketball coach Dee Vick shared the same sentiment with his assistants, players and Tiger fans everywhere: it was about time. Led by the tremendous play of Turner King (Roanoke, VA/Roanoke Catholic) and Shane Payne (Weston, FL/Sagemont), Hampden-Sydney collected its first victory of the season with an 83-72 decision over previously unbeaten LaGrange College in the final game of the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic. King led all scorers with 22 points on 7-of-11 shooting and Payne followed close behind with a career-high 21 points in addition to pulling down six rebounds, dishing out three assists, blocking two shots and recording one theft. Hampden-Sydney and LaGrange played relatively even for the first 7:10, as a Clay Wages jumper knotted the score at 15 at the 12:50 mark. But a Paul Matthews (Greensburg, PA/Greensburg Salem) off-balance three-pointer as the shot clock expired on the Tigers' next possession put H-SC up 18-15 and ignited a crucial 11-0 run over the next 3:30. Forward Lane Medlin (West Point, VA/Fork Union) scored five points during the spree that gave the Tigers a 26-15 lead with 8:41 remaining in the opening half. Payne's 13 first half points led Hampden-Sydney to a 42-28 advantage at the break. The Tigers, who came into the game shooting under 30 percent from the field as a unit, shot a blistering 73.9 percent from the floor in the opening 20 minutes, including a 6-of-8 performance from the three-point line. Hampden-Sydney's lead grew as large as 16 at the 10:56 mark of the second half after Matthews drained a short jumper. LaGrange scrapped to pull within eight, 70-62, following two free throws from Nic Whitfield with 4:28 remaining, but the Tigers' smothering defense held the Panthers scoreless over the next 3:11, allowing Hampden-Sydney to push its lead back to 15, 77-62, after a pair of Byron Lawton (High Point, NC/Wesleyan) free throws. Hampden-Sydney went 4-of-6 at the foul line in the final 1:12 to seal the double digit win. King and Payne weren't the only Tigers to enjoy stellar performances. Junior Jonathan Mudd (Miami, FL/American) was one rebound shy of a double-double, notching 11 points and nine rebounds. Medlin tallied a season-high 11 points and grabbed three boards. Lawton scored just four points, but snared six rebounds and registered a team-best four assists. Guard Britt Gaylor came off the bench to lead LaGrange (2-1) with 19 points, going 5-of-9 from long range. The Panthers' top-two scorers, Joe Cromwell and Whitfield, were held to 10 and eight points, respectively. Cromwell and Whitfield had combined for 45 points in the Panthers victory over No. 24 Virginia Wesleyan the night before. Hampden-Sydney shot 65.9 percent (29-44) for the game, including a 9-of-15 outing from the three-point line. The Tigers outrebounded LaGrange 32-26 and held the Panthers to 40 percent shooting for the contest. The Tigers return to action next weekend, November 29 and 30 as they compete in the first South Region Hoops Challenge in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. H-SC will square off with Shenandoah University and North Carolina Wesleyan College of the USA South Conference. www.hsc.edu/athletics |
