Jan. 17, 2004

Box Score

COLLEGEVILLE, Pa -- Senior Dennis Stanton scored a career-high and Centennial Conference-record 45 points and host Ursinus held off a late rally by visiting Johns Hopkins as the Bears snapped the Blue Jays' seven-game winning streak with an 82-74 victory at Helfferich Hall Saturday afternoon. The Bears, who won their first Centennial Conference title last season, improve to 9-5 overall and 5-2 in the Centennial Conference. Hopkins falls to 10-3, 6-1.

Stanton scored 24 points in the first half to power the Bears to a 37-34 halftime lead. He scored eight straight Ursinus points at one point midway through the half, but the Blue Jays stayed close as freshman Dan Nawrocki (Syosset, NY/Chaminade) scored 10 of his 12 points in the first half.

Ursinus slowly began to pull away in the second half and used a Stanton-led 13-2 run midway through the half to take what appeared to be a comfortable 67-52 lead with just over eight minutes remaining. Stanton scored the first 10 points in the run, which was completed with a three-pointer by Mike McGarvey.

The Blue Jays climbed back in the game with a 15-2 run over the next six minutes to pull within 69-67 with 2:36 remaining. Senior Matt Righter (Clarion, PA/Lawrenceville Prep) jump-started the run with a three-pointer and later added a jumper that cut the deficit to 67-59. After a layup by McGarvey, sophomore Frank Mason (Silver Spring, MD/Barrie School) polished off consecutive possessions with a jumper and a layup before he and senior Eric Toback (Ellicott City, MD/Mount Hebron) pulled the Blue Jays to within 69-67 with back-to-back jumpers. A Stanton three-pointer with 1:51 remaining finally ended the run and the Blue Jays were within three just once in the final 90 seconds as they suffered their first league loss of the season.

Stanton hit 14-of-26 shots from the floor, including 7-of-16 from three-point range, and 10-of-11 from the free throw line. McGarvey added 13 points and six rebounds and was the only other Ursinus player to score in double figures.

Mason led the Blue Jays with a career-high 18 points and added five assists, three steals and two rebounds. Righter and Nawrocki added 12 points apiece and Toback chipped in with 10 points and nine rebounds. The Blue Jays held a 40-31 rebounding advantage, but hit just 6-of-28 three-pointers, including just 2-of-15 in the second half.

Johns Hopkins will return to action on Wednesday night when the Blue Jays play at McDaniel.

Johns Hopkins (10-3, 6-1 CC) 34-40/74

Ursinus (9-5, 5-2 CC) 37-45/82

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