Box Score

BRIDGEWATER, VA (January 29, 2005)—Hampden-Sydney’s basketball team scored its sixth-straight victory Saturday as the Tigers knocked off Bridgewater College, 63-54.  With the win, the Tigers improve to 12-7 overall and 7-5 in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference, while Bridgewater, which was alone in first-place in the conference prior to the loss, drops to 14-5 overall and 9-3 in the ODAC. 

Tiger freshman guard Drew Prehmus (Atlanta, GA/Wesleyan) led Hampden-Sydney with 14 points and seven rebounds, while sophomore guard Kevin Forrester (Wytheville, VA/George Wythe) tallied 12 and junior center Aaron Lewek (Raleigh, NC/Leesville Road) added ten.  Hampden-Sydney, which was out-rebounded, 31-19, in the two teams’ first meeting of the season, turned the tables on the Eagles in this meeting as the Tigers won the battle on the boards, 37-27. 

Hampden-Sydney led by as much as nine, 17-8, in the first-half as Prehmus connected on a pair of three-pointers, while sophomore guard Mike Edwards (Richmond, VA/Steward School) tacked on a long-range bomb.  Senior guard Ricky Easterling then led a Bridgewater charge as he scored 11 of the Eagles final 16 points in the half to help draw BC to within one, 25-24, at the break. 

Bridgewater led briefly, 28-27, in the opening stages of the second half after an Easterling jumper and free throws by Josh Maupin and Clay Michael.  However, the Tigers then exploded on a 19-6 run over a seven minute stretch after Easterling picked up his fourth foul as Hampden-Sydney opened a 12-point advantage, 46-34, with 10:19 remaining. 

The Eagles cut the lead to eight, 52-44, after an Easterling bucket with 5:52 to play, but a three-pointer by freshman guard A.J. Dowell (Roanoke, VA/Salem) and a layup by Kevin Forrester pushed the Hampden-Sydney lead back to 13 (57-44) with 3:37 remaining. 

Free throws by Davis Bowne (Hickory, NC/St. Stephen’s), Matt Guill (Emmaus, PA/Emmaus) and Prehmus down the stretch sealed the game as the Tigers snapped Bridgewater’s five-game win streak. 

Easterling led all scorers with 24 points on 7-of-15 shooting while Ashby Tarkington tallied 12 to give the Eagles two players in double-figures in scoring.  Clay Michael, who scored 21 in his first matchup of the season with Hampden-Sydney, was held to eight points, while he also tallied a game-high 11 rebounds. 

The Tigers shot 47 percent (23-for-49) from the floor, including 54 percent (13-for-24) in the second half and canned 6-of-17 (35%) from beyond the arc while converting on 61 percent (11-for-18) from the line.  The Eagles were held to 38 percent (17-for-45) from the floor, 39 percent (5-for-13) from three point range and 65 percent (15-for-23) from the charity stripe. 

Hampden-Sydney returns to action Monday, January 31, as the team hosts Eastern Mennonite University at 7 pm in S. Douglas Fleet Gymnasium.