Box Score OWINGS MILLS, Md. – Senior Erik Fisher finished with 27 points and 10 rebounds as Stevenson University held off Hood College for a 58-54 MAC Commonwealth men's basketball victory at Owings Mills Gymnasium on Wednesday night.
The win was the 300th career victory for fifth-year Stevenson head coach Gary Stewart. Stewart is in his 23rd season as a collegiate head coach with stops at LaVerne, Cal State East Bay and UC Davis prior to his arrival at Stevenson.
Fisher posted his eighth double-double of the season for Stevenson (6-11, 4-4 MAC Commonwealth) by going 8-18 from the floor, including 4-10 from three-point range, and 7-8 from the free throw line. Sophomore Sean Mayberry finished with eight points, while senior Joe Kiely and freshman Walter English recorded six points apiece for the Mustangs. English also corralled five rebounds in 18 minutes off the bench.
Jared Ruiz led Hood (9-8, 3-5 MAC Commonwealth) with 15 points on 7-12 shooting. Daniel Wegener registered 10 points, while Tanner Ruths narrowly missed a double-double with nine points and 11 rebounds.
Stevenson trailed 40-37 with 9:18 to go, but scored the next four points to take the lead for good, 41-40, on a basket by junior Ryan Hill with 8:03 to go. The Mustangs extended the run to 12-2 and a pair of free throws by senior Christian Roberts with 3:51 left gave the hosts a seven-point cushion, 49-42.
Back-to-back baskets by Wegener and Ruiz cut the lead to three, but English was fouled on a successful putback and made the free throw to double the lead, 52-46, with 2:45 left. Ruiz responded with a conventional three-point play of his own to cut Hood's deficit down to three six seconds later. After a Stevenson turnover, Ian Eversull made two free throws with 1:56 left to make it a 52-51 game.
On the other end, Fisher misfired on a three, giving the Blazers a chance to take the lead, but Wegener missed with 1:09 left, with Fisher grabbing the carom. Fisher converted a layup with 39 seconds to go to make it 54-51, and Wegener again missed, with Hill grabbing the rebound. Hill was fouled and but missed the front end of a one-and-one, with Hood coming up with the loose ball.
Eversull misfired on a three, but Fisher committed a foul away from the ball to send Trevor Magnuski to the line. He missed the front end, and after Stevenson grabbed the rebound, the hosts went 4-6 at the free throw line over the final 10 seconds to secure the win.
Stevenson led 27-22 at halftime and extended the lead to 29-22 on the first possession of the second half. Hood used a 14-2 run capped by a Magnuski layup with 13:07 left to build a 36-31 lead. The Blazers took their largest lead of the second half, 38-32, with 11:51 left on a Wegener basket.
The two teams traded the lead three times in the early going, but Hood used an 11-0 run capped by a Wegener layup with 7:45 left in the first half to take a 20-11 lead. Stevenson countered with a 13-0 run as it held the Blazers without a field goal for the remainder of the half, with a three by English making it 24-20 with 3:11 to go in the first frame. The run featured a pair of three-pointers by Fisher. The Mustangs extended the run to 16-2 and a Fisher three 1:39 before intermission gave the hosts a 27-22 lead at the break.
The Mustangs shot 35.7% from the floor and Hood 35%, but Stevenson was 6-17 behind the arc while the Blazers connected on just two of their 14 three-point attempts. The hosts were also 12-16 at the free throw line while Hood went 10-17. Stevenson held a 39-38 rebounding advantage and overcame 19 turnovers to improve to 4-1 in games decided by five or fewer points.
Stevenson is slated to return to action Saturday when it hosts Lycoming College in a 1:00 MAC Commonwealth contest at Owings Mills Gymnasium.
