Game Box Score

LEXINGTON, VA (January 15, 2006)—Troy Kaase scored the game-winning basket with just four seconds remaining to lift the 11^th-ranked (D3hoops.com) Tigers to a 58-57 victory over Old Dominion Athletic Conference foe Washington and Lee Sunday.  With the win, the Tigers improve to 12-2 overall and 6-2 in conference play while the Generals fall to 2-11 and 2-6 in ODAC action. 

Kaase (Roanoke, VA/Cave Spring) grabbed the offensive rebound after a missed shot by Drew Prehmus (Atlanta, GA/Wesleyan) and scored on the stick back to give the Tigers the winning margin.  Washington and Lee failed to attempt a shot in the final 4.5 seconds of action to lose the heartbreaker. 

Washington and Lee controlled most of the game, leading by as many as seven points throughout the contest while the Tigers led the game on just three occasions before the final bucket by Kaase.  The Generals opened the game on an 11-5 run paced by a pair of buckets by sophomore forward Greg Bienemann.  Hampden-Sydney took its first and only lead of the first half, 14-13, on a layup by sophomore center Jeremy Szuch (Salem, VA/Glenvar) at the 10:24 mark of the first half, but seven minutes later the Generals owned a seven point advantage, 25-18, thanks to the free throw shooting of Ben Heller and Isaiah Goodman who each canned three freebies during the stretch. 

Hampden-Sydney closed to within three points at the break, 31-28, and opened the second half on a 9-4 run to take a 37-35 lead on a layup by Mike Edwards (Richmond, VA/Steward) with 15:33 to play.  The Generals again made a run, pushing the lead to seven points, 47-40, on Chris Halkitis’ 18-foot jump shot at the 9:15 mark. 

The Tigers came back to tie the game at 49 on a Kaase free throw and the two teams began to trade baskets over the final four minutes of action.  Ben Heller converted on a 16-foot jumper with 2:03 remaining to give the Generals a 55-53 lead, but Mike Edwards put the Tigers back on top, 56-55, with a clutch three pointer just seconds later. 

Then with just 1:19 to play, Generals guard Chris Halkitis was fouled and converted both free throws to put the Washington and Lee back in control, 57-56.  Greg Bienemann then blocked a Troy Kaase shot attempt on the defensive end, but Halkitis’ three point attempt was off the mark and rebounded by the Tigers with just 18 seconds to play. 

After a Tiger timeout, Drew Prehmus took the ball and drove the baseline, putting up a right-handed bank shot that gently bounced off the front of the rim and into the hands of Kaase, who put the ball back through the hoop to send the Tigers to their 16^th victory in-a-row over the Generals. 

Kaase led the way for the Tigers with 17 points in just 17 minutes of action as he battled foul trouble throughout most of the game.  Edwards finished with 13 points, while Prehmus added nine and a game-high eight rebounds.  The Tigers shot 45.5 percent (20-for-44) from the floor, 20 percent (3-for-15) from beyond the arc and sank 88 percent (15-of-17) from the foul line, while out-rebounding the Generals, 30-21. 

Greg Bienemann led the Generals with 15 points and five rebounds, while Alex White added 11 and Halkitis ten.  The Generals converted on 46.7 percent (21-of-45) from the floor, 25 percent (2-for-8) from three point range and 68.4 percent (13-for-19) from the charity stripe. 

Hampden-Sydney returns to action Wednesday, January 18, as the Tigers host defending ODAC champion Virginia Wesleyan College at 7 pm in S. Douglas Fleet Gymnasium.  The game will be broadcast live on FM 95.7 WFLO and on the internet at www.hsc.edu/athletics.