HAMPDEN-SYDNEY, Va.– The host Hampden-Sydney College Tigers used a 26-to-9 second half run to beat Eastern 95-74 win in the final game of the Charlie Cobb Classic. The seventh-ranked hosts made 10-of-13 shots including 3-of-4 from deep to break open the game after the Eagles had closed the gap to 62-59 with nine and a half minutes to go. Arkese Claiborne had 18 points, and Zubair Lee finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds and finished the game with exactly 1000 points in his career.

The Eagles (7-4) had clawed back from a 14-point second-half deficit to pull within three. Nick Mate sparked the 13-to-2 run with a 3-pointer, and Claiborne made a pair of free throws to finish the run. Hampden-Sydney All-American guard Adam Brazil hit a tough turnaround for a five-point edge and then a quick floater after an Eastern miss at the other end. After another HSC basket, Davin Hernandez had a long 3-pointer from the corner that seemed to stem the tide, but a foul against Brazil led to things going sideways quickly. After a slew of HSC free throws, Brazil banked home a step-back 3-pointer to finish with 29 points.

While the Eagles shot and made more free throws than their hosts, the advantage was negligible. Hampden Sydney (9-2) made 18-of-25, and the Eagles made 20-of-26. For the Year, the Eagles have taken nearly twice as many free throws as their hosts.

Eastern made 11-of-21 second half shots, but they did not get an offensive rebound after the intermission. The Tigers earned their extra shots with seven offensive rebounds. They finished with 27 offensive rebounds in the game.


The Eagles led 35-33 with 2;55 to play in the first half, but the hosts closed the frame on a 13-2 run to go to the locker room up 46-37. The Eagles went just 1-of-7 from the floor and did not make a trip to the foul line in the closing moments of the first half.

The Tigers got 20 first-half points from Brazil and controlled the boards with 31-15 edge on the glass. The Tigers had 21 offensive rebounds and 17 second-chance points in the first half.

The Eagles shot 49 percent in the game from the floor and were 6-of-17 from behind the arc. HSC guard Hamilton Campbell scored 22 points with four made 3-pointers off the bench.

Hampden-Sydney lost to John Carroll in the opening game of the Charlie Cobb classic. Before the game, they put up a National Finalist banner from their run to the NCAA Championship game last year.

The Eagles will be off until January when they will start MAC Commonwealth play with a home game against Stevenson.