Jan. 10, 2004

Box Score

Chestertown, MD - Johns Hopkins scored 11 of the game's final 12 points as the Blue Jays continued their impressive start in Centennial Conference play with a 70-63 win over Washington College in men's basketball action Saturday afternoon at the Cain Athletic Center.

Hopkins, which won its fifth straight game to improve to 8-2 overall, is now 4-0 in the league for the first time since the Centennial was formed in the 1993-94 season. The Shoremen, who lost their eighth straight to fall to 3-8 overall and 0-4 in the conference, led 62-59 with 2:59 remaining and had possession of the ball but could not put the game away.

Washington forward Joe Breslin missed the front end of a 1-and-1 on the possession, and JHU senior guard Kevin Marquez (Oakton, VA/Oakton) grabbed an offensive rebound and scored to cut the lead to 62-61 with 2:09 to play.

After Breslin missed a jumper, Blue Jay freshman forward Danny Nawrocki (Syosset, NY/Chaminade), who finished with game-highs of 23 points and 15 rebounds, scored at the 1:34 mark to give Hopkins a 63-62 lead. Washington forward Jonathan Webb missed a lay-up on the next possession, and Hopkins sophomore guard Frank Mason (Silver Spring, MD/Barrie School) drove for a lay-up as the Blue Jays went up 65-62 with 1:04 left.

Kyle Stem hit one of two free throws to pull the Shoremen within 65-63 with 29 seconds to play, but JHU junior forward Eric Toback (Ellicott City, MD/Mount Hebron) got behind the press, hit a short jumper while being fouled, and made the ensuing free throw to make it a 68-63 game with 21 seconds remaining. After another Washington miss, Nawrocki nailed two free throws to close the scoring.

Toback finished with 18 points and six rebounds for the Blue Jays, who won their fourth straight over the Shoremen. Marquez added 11 points and three assists, Mason chipped in seven points and a game-best five assists, and freshman forward Matt Griffin (Glen Mills, PA/Penncrest) had six points and a career-high eight rebounds.

Stem posted team-highs of 14 points and six rebounds for Washington, while David Horvath added 13 points and Webb recorded 11 points and five rebounds.

After Marquez opened the game with a three-pointer the Shoremen scored seven straight points, but the Blue Jays answered with 11 consecutive points to go up 14-7 with 10:22 left in the first half. Washington battled back, scoring nine straight points to take a 22-19 advantage at the 5:42 mark. Hopkins responded with an 11-3 run to go ahead 30-25, and after the Shoremen scored five unanswered points, Griffin hit two free throws with no time remaining to send Hopkins to the break up 32-30.

The game remaining tight through the first 10 minutes of the second half before Washington went on an 8-1 spurt to take a 54-50 advantage with 8:51 remaining.

Blue Jay sophomore guard Bobby Sharafeddin (Silver Spring, MD/Barrie School) hit two free throws and Toback nailed a three-pointer to give Hopkins a 55-54 lead at the 7:34 mark, and the teams traded baskets until Breslin and Stem scored consecutive baskets to put the Shoremen up 62-59 at the 3:42 mark.

The Blue Jays return to action Tuesday when Hopkins hosts Haverford at Goldfarb Gymnasium in an 8 p.m. conference game.

Box Score:            1   2       FJohns Hopkins (8-2, 4-0 Centennial)     32  38  -   70Washington College (3-8, 0-4 Centennial)        30  33  -   63