Feb. 7, 2004

Box Score

Baltimore, MD - Johns Hopkins junior forward Eric Toback (Ellicott City, MD/Mount Hebron) posted game- and career-highs of 27 points and 13 rebounds as the Blue Jay men's basketball team defeated Washington College, 96-79, Saturday afternoon at Goldfarb Gymnasium.

Junior guard Matt Righter (Clarion, PA/Lawrenceville Prep) added 26 points, also a career-best, while freshman forward Danny Nawrocki (Syosset, NY/Chaminade) and senior guard Kevin Marquez (Oakton, VA/Oakton) each chipped in 14 for the Blue Jays, who improved to 13-6 overall and 9-4 in the Centennial Conference.

The Shoremen, who fell to 8-12 overall and 5-8 in the league, were led by guard Kyle Stem, who notched team-highs of 22 points and six rebounds.

The Blue Jays scored the first 11 points of the game, including eight by Righter, and extended their lead to 24-11 at the 7:42 mark after freshman guard TJ Valerio (Blue Bell, PA/St. Joseph's Prep) hit a basket. Washington responded with a 14-4 run and were still within three at 33-30 with 1:51 remaining in the half, but the Blue Jays answered with a 9-1 spurt of their own, capped with a three-pointer by Marquez to go up 42-31. Stem then scored at the buzzer to make it a nine-point game at the break.

The Shoremen scored 11 of the first 14 points in the second half to pull within 45-44 with 17:06 to play, and took their first lead of the game at 53-52 when David Horvath nailed a three-pointer with 15:12 left.

However Toback found Nawrocki for a lay-up, and after Righter nailed a three-pointer, Toback scored inside as the Blue Jays went back up 59-53 at the 13:18 mark. Washington was within 69-64 with 7:49 to play after a free throw by Jeff McMahon, but Hopkins put the game away with a 13-0 run, going up 82-64 with 3:15 remaining.

Nawrocki ignited the run with two jumpers, and after Righter hit another three-pointer, Righter found Toback for a three-point play to put Hopkins up 79-64 at the 4:41 mark. Nawrocki closed the spurt with a three-point play, and Washington could not get the deficit under 12 the rest of the way.

The 96 points scored were the most by a Hopkins team since a 105-62 win over St. Mary's on November 20, 1992. The Blue Jays hit 9-of-19 three-point attempts, including a 4-of-6 performance by Righter, and out-rebounded the Shoremen, 45-30.

Jonathan Webb scored 17 points and dished out five assists while Dustin Abbate added 14 points and Andrew Gentile chipped in 12 for Washington, which had its three-game winning streak snapped.

The Blue Jays, who extended their school-record home winning streak to 23 games, remain home Wednesday when Hopkins hosts McDaniel at 7:30 p.m.

Box Score:            1   2       FWashington College (8-12, 5-8 Centennial)       33  46  -   79Johns Hopkins (13-6, 9-4 Centennial)            42  54  -   96