Roberts' Classic record leads Stevenson

Nov 22, 2014
Christian Roberts' big night helped lead Stevenson.
Photo by Larry Radloff, d3photography.com 

By Phil Naegely
for D3sports.com

STEVENSON, Md. -- The lights dimmed as Stevenson was introduced as if a show, not a basketball game, was about to begin at the Hoopsville National Invitational Classic. In fact, both occurred on Friday as the Mustangs defeated Wittenberg 75-65 and Christian Roberts dazzled the crowd with his record-setting performance.

Stevenson looked to use its home-court advantage in their favor. They took advantage of the Mustangs fans as they clearly controlled pace and possession for most of the game as they took the lead for good, 16-14, with 7:56 left in the first half.

Wittenberg slowly clawed away double digit deficits to single digits; the Mustangs offense powered through Wittenberg’s defense and found themselves at the charity stripe 47 times. They converted 33 of those 47 free throws led by Roberts’ 15 of 16 from the free throw line. Conversely, the Tigers only attempted 27 free throws on the night.

For the second straight contest, Christian Roberts led all Stevenson players in scoring. On Friday, his 28 points set a Hoopsville Classic record for most points scored in a single game. The previous record, 27 points, was set by Birmingham-Southern’s Griffin Schamp against Salisbury at last year’s event.

In the waning minutes of the second half, Darius Walker’s technical foul for hanging on the rim after a thundering dunk livened the crowd but gave Wittenberg life. Jailed Williams sunk the ensuing free throws, but the Tigers couldn’t capitalize on the next possession.

The Mustangs held on for their third consecutive win of the young season, and improve to 4-1 record in Hoopsville Classic play over three years.

Free throws power Cardinals past Griffins

Free throws make or break a team’s season.

For Catholic University, their 76.9% free throw shooting provided the clear advantage against the Gwynedd Mercy Griffins as the game progressed. Despite trailing for almost 26 minutes against Gwynedd Mercy, the Cardinals made key shots and led the game at the most important moment - when the clock expired.

Four Cardinals - Corey Stanford, Austin Calling, Bryson Fonville, and Kevin Phanord - were perfect from the stripe. Their combined 13-13 effort in addition to the other seven made free throws provided a good footing for Catholic to make a comeback.

The Cardinals shot a respectable 75% from the free throw line but only had four attempts. In the second half, they converted 17 of 22 attempts. The increased opportunities allowed the Cardinals to slowly but surely find a way back into the game and shift the momentum.

As Gwynedd Mercy was forced to start fouling their opponents, the Cardinals continued to sink their attempts under pressure. On the other hand, the Griffins sot a mediocre 44% from the stripe in the second half and 57% overall.

Joe Hassell double-double propels Randolph-Macon

Mary Hardin-Baylor and Randolph Macon battled back and forth for most of the contest. In the end, the Yellow Jackets came away with a hard-fought 66-62 overtime victory in the second game of the 2014 Hoopsville Classic.

Forward Joe Hassell’s double-double - 11 points and 13 rebounds, led the offensive for the Yellow Jackets. Hassle was one of four Randolph Macon players with double digit points with Connor Sullivan leading the way with 13 points, which came from four three-points and one free throw. 

Mary Hardin-Baylor’s offense forced the extra period thanks to 42.3% shooting in the second half. This was a vast improvement to their 29.7% first-half shooting. Down the stretch in overtime, Hardin-Baylor was forced to play catch-up but couldn’t find much. They went 2-8 overall and missed all three shot attempts.

After squandering their five point half-time lead (30-25) in the second half, Randolph Macon finished strong in overtime. Connor Sullivan’s 3-pointer with 3:20 temporarily gave them a 62-60 lead before Russell Green’s free throws evened the game at 62 with a 1:20 to play.

On the ensuing drive, Akeem Holmes layup and successful free throw sealed the deal for the Yellow Jackets. Evan Jackson sealed the victory making one of two from the charity stripe with four seconds securing a 66-62 victory.