WASHINGTON - The Gallaudet University men's basketball team got off to a slow start Saturday in the first game of the Battle of D.C. & Maryland against Hood College in their home opener at the Field House. The Blazers swished a hot 16 3-pointers and forced 23 turnovers which led to a 101-54 win on Padden Court.
Gallaudet (0-4) opened with a slow start that allowed Hood to go on an 8-0 run three minutes in. However, the Bison were able to go on their own 8-0 run to cut the Hood lead to 23-18 at the 8:16 mark. During that run, junior forward
Blessed Mbogo (Silver Spring, Md.) had back-to-back 3-pointers made to give Gallaudet some momentum. Hood (3-1) answered back to finish the first half on a 25-11 run to take a 48-29 lead into the break.
The Bison went cold shooting in the second half with 31.4 percent and the Blazers kept the momentum high with 52.6 percent field goals made to finish the game.
Mbogo played a stellar performance and led Gallaudet with 24 points. He shot a perfect 3 of 3 free throws, swished 5 out of 13 from 3-point range and three steals. Junior forward
Brandon Chung (Kahului, Hawaii) scored 10 points and grabbed six rebounds while the third Bison highest point total went to junior forward
Enow Otto Jr. (Waldorf, Md.) who scored eight points and grabbed five rebounds as he played only 21 minutes off the bench as he fouled out.
The Blazers had four players in double figures led by guard Justin Gielen and forward Garrett Cox who scored 16 and 15 points, respectively.
BISON TRACKS
- Gallaudet grabbed a season-high 36 total rebounds
- First-year guard Jaheim Crayton (Buford, Ga.) scored six points from the bench and grabbed two rebounds in six minutes
UP NEXT
GU will play St. Mary's College of Maryland (1-3) in the consolation game tomorrow (Sunday, Nov. 19) at 2 p.m. This will not count as a conference game played as the two teams meet in United East Conference games in January and February 2024. St. Mary's College of Maryland lost to The Catholic University of America, 67-65, in another game of Battle D.C. & Maryland.