Greensboro, N.C. (1/9/08) -- Senior center Ben Strong scored 23 of his game-high 34 points in the second half in Guilford College's 93-79 Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) men's basketball win over visiting Hampden-Sydney College Wednesday night. The Quakers (7-2, 2-0 ODAC), ranked 11th in this week's D3hoops.com Top 25 Poll, won for the sixth time in seven games and ended the Tigers' (7-2, 1-1 ODAC) seven-game winning streak.

Guilford led by as many as 23 points in the second half, but Hampden-Sydney rode the hot shooting of senior Drew Prehmus to rally back within nine points with 1:15 left. The Quakers converted nine-of-12 free throws in the final 3:18, preserving the win.

"Even though we went up 23, we knew they weren't going to go away," Guilford head coach Tom Palombo said. "This is their one chance to play here at Guilford and they're going to try to take advantage of it. Fortunately we were able to hold them off in the end."

Guilford sophomore Clay Henson scored 20 of his 24 points in the first half, which helped the hosts overcome an early five-point deficit and take a 43-33 halftime lead. Henson made all four three-point shots in the first half and did not miss from beyond the arc. He has 17 trifectas over the Quakers' last three games, all Guilford wins.

The second half belonged to Strong, who made nine-of-13 field goals and all five free throws to record his second 30-point game of the year. He also added seven rebounds and a game-high four blocks.
"Ben was finally getting the ball in position to score a little bit in the second half," Palombo said. "It's nice to be able to have that inside-outside combination."

Sophomore guard Turner King the reigning ODAC Player of the Week, paced four Tigers in double-figure scoring with 17 points, but managed only three-of-10 shooting from three-point range. Prehmus had only two first-half points, but made three-of-four three-pointers in the second frame and finished with 16 points. Senior forward Tyler Murray scored 14 points for Hampden-Sydney and junior guard Byron Lawton added 13 points and four assists in his annual homecoming.

Guilford entered the game ranked first in NCAA Division III in field-goal percentage defense, while the Tigers were ranked eighth in field-goal percentage. Hampden-Sydney shot 44.3 percent from the floor, almost 11 percent better than Guilford opponents, but seven percent below its season average. The Quakers, who also led Division III in rebounding margin, won the battle of the boards, 46-25. Senior forward Eric Belkoski led all glass cleaners with a career-high 12 caroms, including seven offensive boards. He also scored 11 points for his second double-double of the year.

The Quakers host Randolph-Macon College Saturday (Jan. 12) in another ODAC game. Admission to the 3:00 p.m. is free. Hampden-Sydney wraps up a five-game road trip Saturday at Bridgewater College at 7:00 p.m.