The semifinal round of the Region XX Men's Basketball Tournament has been a curse for Hagerstown Community College coach Kenny Keyes, whose Hawks have been eliminated with season-ending losses in that round during all five of his years at the helm.
On Saturday night, the Allegany College Trojans came back from a 19-point, second-half deficit to eliminate the Hawks 82-77 at the HCC athletic complex.
The Hawks (8-20) had a 64-45 lead with 9:28 remaining in the game, and they let it slip away.
"We played well, but we couldn't finish," Keyes said. "That is the story of the season. We didn't have enough horses. John Long got a cut above his eye and was out for only five minutes, but that was when Allegany made their run. John Long is a warrior and I wish that he did not have to come out. We gave them a heck of a good battle with seven guys. We worked our butts off."