STAMFORD — Coming off winning the Deposit-Hancock basketball tournament on Saturday, the Oxford Blackhawks boys’ basketball team traveled to Stamford High School for the opening round of the Stamford tournament. The Blackhawks stayed hot with a 65-54 victory over Stamford on Monday night.

Oxford improves to 3-0 and it is also the third straight game that the Blackhawks have scored 53 points or more.

Oxford, down by five at halftime and trailing 41-40 at the end of the third quarter, clinched the victory with a dominant second-half performance. The Blackhawks came alive in the final eight minutes of play, scoring a crucial 25 points and held Stamford to 13 to end up on top.

Gordon Smith led the team with 20 points, scoring nine of them in the final quarter. Bennett Paden followed with 13 points, helping Smith out in the fourth as well. Nic Dodzweit was big in the second half too, where he scored all of his 11 points within the final two quarters.

Richard Hunter added nine points while Degan Endress had six points off the bench and Kayden Renfrow with four points. Aiden Mellem had a basket in the second quarter in the win.

Oxford (3-0) will face familiar MAC foe Unatego in the Stamford tournament championship this evening.