Guilford College Men’s Basketball Final – Team Crimson 75, Team Gray 66

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Trever Hyatt scored 21 points and Justen Best added 17 off the bench in Team Crimson’s 75-66 victory over Team Gray on Guilford College’s annual Meet the Team Night. Nearly 500 fans turned out for the intrasquad exhibition in the Ragan-Brown Field House, which serves as the final tune-up before the Quakers’ officially open the season November 17 against visiting Greensboro College.

The teams proved evenly matched as the entertaining affair featured 11 ties and 15 lead changes. Neither team led by more than seven points until John Bryant’s jumper with 6:31left in regulation opened a 63-55 cushion for coach Caleb Kimbrough’s Crimson team. The bucket capped a decisive 12-2 Crimson run that featured four of Zachary Houston’s eight points.

Coach Ronnie Thomas’ Gray team reeled off six straight points and made it a 63-61 contest on a rim-rattling dunk by Alston Thompson with just under five minutes to play. Thompson’s traditional three-point play with 2:29 remaining brought Gray to within 68-48, but Hyatt answered at the other end with his fifth and final three-pointer of the night, which essentially put the game out of reach.

Team Crimson cashed 18 Gray turnovers into 24 points, compared to the opponent’s 10 points off of 12 Crimson miscues. Hard-nosed rookie Carson Long was all over the floor to contribute eight points, a game-high nine boards, two blocks and two steals for the Crimson squad. In addition to his eight points, Houston, Guilford’s steady point guard, collected six rebounds and distributed a game-best six assists with no turnovers in 26 minutes. Junior captain Michael Reiney drained two long three-pointers on the way to eight points and energetic Mahmoud Henderson chipped in five points off the bench.

Team Gray’s Dominique Henderson pumped in a game-high 30 points, 17 in the second half. The junior swingman was dangerous inside and out as he made five of nine three-pointers. He also collected six rebounds and had a steal. Will Freeman, the Quakers’ lone senior, scored 10 hard-earned inside points and snared six rebounds in 24 minutes. Thompson, a 6-6 rookie forward, showed flashes of greatness as he narrowly missed a double-double with nine points, nine rebounds and two blocks. Trevor Mayo delivered eight points and two assists in a solid performance and Brandon Sapp came through with four big points off the bench.

The performance marked the end of Guilford’s preseason competition. Coach Tom Palombo’s charges gained valuable and memorable experience thanks to two fall-break exhibitions with Canadian teams in Toronto, a local exhibition and last Friday’s tremendous opportunity to play at the University of North Carolina, the nation’s top-ranked Division I men’s basketball team. After one more week of preseason practice, Guilford officially tips off its quest for the Old Dominion Athletic Conference title and an NCAA Division III playoff spot next Tuesday night in Ragan-Brown against crosstown-rival Greensboro College. Fans are encouraged to arrive well in advance of the 7:00 p.m. start to get a seat in what is typically one of the most well-attended contests of the season.