READING, Pa. – The Albright men's basketball team used a 66-point second half to turn a close game at halftime against Hood into a laugher, defeating the Blazers, 101-79, on Wednesday night at Bollman Center. Fred Rowles scored a game-high 24 points while DeJuan Smith notched his third consecutive double-double and the fifth in his past six games. He finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds.

There were nine ties and eight lead changes in a first half that saw the Lions take a 35-32 lead into the locker room, but that all changed in the second half. Hood actually held a 40-37 lead after going on an 8-0 run very early in the half. Albright responded with eight points in a row that included back-to-back three pointers from Brandon Lindsay. He finished with 17 points.

Albright (15-5, 8-4) scored in bursts throughout the second half to expand its lead. Albright went on a 20-6 run to turn a 59-50 lead with 10:55 to play into a 23-point lead at 79-56 with 7:16 to play. The Lions scored the first six points of that run in 33 seconds. Rowles and Lindsay each hit jumpers, and Samuel Majekodunmi stole the inbounds pass after Lindsay's bucket for another quick two points. Majekodunmi finished with nine points.

Smith scored eight straight points for the Lions later in the run to get the lead to 76-56, and Rowles capped that run with a steal and a three-point play that brought the Bollman Center crowd to its feet.

The push didn't end there, though. Albright got the lead to 30 points at 3:06 thanks to four points each from Isaiah Harris and Sidney Brown. Troy Smoot made it 98-68 with a three pointer soon after. That would be the high point for the Albright lead. Harris had eight points on the night.

The Lions forced 12 of Hood's 20 turnovers in the second half. Albright shot 50 percent from both the floor and three-point range in the second half while making 17-of-20 free throws. Albright held Hood to just 34.2 percent from the floor and 18.8 percent from three-point range in the second half.

Albright scored more than 100 points for the second time against Hood this season. The Lions won, 106-93, at Hood on Jan. 3.

Albright hits the road to face Lebanon Valley on Saturday at 4 p.m. The Dutchmen won in Reading, 78-70, on Jan. 6.