WASHINGTON, D.C. - Freshman forward Danny Kelly (Strongsville, Ohio) got off two three-point shots as the final seconds ticked off the clock but neither could find the bottom of the net as Gallaudet University dropped a tough 56-53 Capital Athletic Conference men's basketball game to visiting Hood College on Wednesday night.

Gallaudet (4-8, 0-6 CAC) lived and died by the three-point shot in a tale of two different halves. The Bison shot 23.5 percent from three-point range in the first half as they completed 4-of-17 attempts. Gallaudet vastly improved in the second half as the Bison sunk 4-of-9 shots (44.4 percent), and take away the final two Kelly attempts Gallaudet's percentage raises 13 points to 57 percent.

Kelly, who made his first-ever collegiate start for GU, finished the game with a team-high 14 points to go with eight rebounds and two assists. Senior guard Luther Weedon (Walkersville, Md.) came off the bench and matched Kelly's total of 14 points. Weedon recorded eight of his 14 points in the second half, thanks to a perfect 2-for-2 performance from three-point range. This is the second straight game that Weedon has been a major contributor off the bench as he recorded a team-high 15 points in last Saturday's loss to University of Mary Washington. In the past two games, Weedon is 8-for-14 from three-point range (57.1 percent).

Hood (10-5, 5-1 CAC), tied for first-place in the CAC, took a seven-point lead, 29-22, into halftime and came out strong in the second half. The Blazers pushed their lead to 13 points just two minutes into the new half. Gallaudet went to work from there and gradually chipped away at the Hood lead. Weedon made a lay-up at the 4:08 mark to cut the deficit to two, 48-46. The two teams traded baskets before Gallaudet knotted the game at 50 on a lay-up made by senior guard Johnny Jackson (Tuscaloosa, Ala.) with 2:49 left in regulation. Jackson finished the game with eight points and eight rebounds. Hood answered with a three-pointer and a lay-up as the Blazers held a five-point lead with a minute to play. Kelly drained a three-pointer with 22 seconds left to close out the scoring for Gallaudet.

The final game statistics showed the teams were evenly matched as team rebounds, turnovers, steals and assists were either the same or one off. Hood shot 44.9 percent from the field (22-for-49) compared to Gallaudet's 36.1 percent (22-for-61). GU outscored Hood 31-27 in the second half. J'Air Brady led the Blazers with 15 points and four rebounds followed by Tyler Snoots who poured in 12 points and grabbed a game-high nine boards.

Gallaudet will next hit the road on Saturday, January 16, and head to St. Mary's City, Md., where the Bison will take on the nationally ranked Seahawks from St. Mary's (Md.) College in a 4 p.m. conference game. The Seahawks (12-2, 5-1 CAC) are tied with Hood for first-place in the CAC and are ranked No. 17 in the country.