Prehmus and sophomore guard Mike Edwards (Richmond, VA/Steward School) helped the Tigers overcome a six-point deficit, 67-61, with 3:51 remaining as Edwards connected on a pair of free throws before a Prehmus 25-foot three put the Tigers back out front, 68-67, with 56 seconds to play. After a Guilford foul with 32 seconds to play in regulation, Prehmus knocked down two free throws to give the Tigers a three-point advantage, 70-67, but Guilford freshman guard Kerry Atkinson nailed a three pointer from the baseline to tie the game with just seconds remaining, sending the contest into overtime.
The two teams battled back-and-forth in the overtime period, with Guilford holding a 75-73 lead after a Ray Edmond three at the 2:32 mark. A Prehmus layup seconds later tied the game, while a Tyler Murray (Atlanta, GA/Harrison) layup with 1:23 to play gave the Tigers a 77-75 lead. Atkinson then hit another three pointer, this time from 26 feet giving him 29 points in the game, but a jumper by Mike Edwards on the Tigers end gave the team a 79-78 advantage.
Edwards and junior center Aaron Lewek (Raleigh, NC/Leesville Road) then made four straight free throws over the final 27 seconds to seal the contest for the Tigers.
Prehmus’ 28 points was one better than his previous career-high, while Edwards finished with 11 to give the Tigers two players in double-figures as ten Hampden-Sydney players scored. The big difference for the Tigers came at the charity stripe where the team made 25-of-31 (81%), compared to a 7-for-15 (47%) effort by the Quakers. Overall, the Tigers shot 46 percent (25-for-54) from the floor and 50 percent (8-for-16) from beyond the arc, led by Prehmus’ 5-for-8 effort from three point range and a pair of long-range bombs by sophomore guard Kevin Forrester (Wytheville, VA/George Wythe).
Atkinson paced the Quakers with 29 points on 11-of-27 shooting while he also had a team and game-high ten rebounds. Jordan Snipes and Ben Strong each tallied ten points for the Quakers who shot 41 percent (31-for-76) from the floor and 53 percent (9-for-17) from beyond the arc while holding a 44-37 advantage on the glass.
The Tigers will look for their sixth straight win Saturday, January 29, as the team travels to Bridgewater, VA, to take on the Bridgewater College Eagles at 2 pm in a game that will be broadcast locally on FM 95.7 WFLO and on the internet at www.hsc.edu/athletics. The Quakers also return to action on the 29th as the team travels to Norfolk, VA, to take on Virginia Wesleyan.