Jan. 8, 2005

Box Score

BALTIMORE, MD -- Sophomore guard T.J. Valerio (Blue Bell, PA/St. Joseph's Prep) scored a career-high 19 points to lead four Johns Hopkins men's basketball players in double figures as the Blue Jays picked up their third straight victory with an 82-78 win over visiting Washington College. The Blue Jays improve to 6-4 overall and 3-1 in the Centennial Conference, while the Shoremen slip to 5-6, 2-2.

The Blue Jays extended a 45-41 halftime lead to 59-45 with just under 15 minutes remaining. Valerio hit back-to-back three-pointers to close the run, which included seven of junior guard Frank Mason's (Silver Spring, MD/Barrie School) 11 points in the game as well. The Blue Jays maintained at least a seven point lead for the next seven minutes as sophomore Danny Nawrocki (Syosset, NY/Chaminade), who was held to just five points in the first half, got untracked. He tallied 13 of his 18 points after intermission.

Washington cut the lead to 75-71 with just under five minutes remaining with a quick 9-3 run that included a pair of layups by Joe Breslin (Hagerstown, MD/St. Maria Goretti) and an old-fashioned three-point play by Travis Moore (Selinsgrove, PA/Selinsgrove). The three-point play was one of seven in the game for the Shoremen, who weren't quite as deadly from beyond the arc as they were going to the basket as they were 0-for-12 on three-point attempts.

The Blue Jays pushed the lead back to 10 at 81-71 as Nawrocki tipped in a miss by senior Eric Toback (Ellicott City, MD/Mount Hebron) and hit a pair of free throws, but the Shoremen scored the next seven points in a span of 90 seconds to make it 81-78 with 1:32 remaining. Washington had a pair of possessions in the final 90 seconds, but Kyle Stem (Lincoln University, PA/Salesianum) misfired on a three-pointer and Moore turned the ball over with six seconds remaining before Mason sealed the win by hitting 1-of-2 free throws with two seconds remaining.

A fast-paced first half saw the Blue Jays, who never trailed in the game, build a 10-point lead on two occasions as Valerio scored 10 of his 19 points before halftime, while Toback scored 11 of his 13 in the opening half. The Blue Jays hit 8-of-16 three-pointers in the first half with Valerio, Toback and freshman Terence Coppola (Scotia, NY/Scotia-Glenville) all hitting a pair of shots from behind the arc.

Washington stayed in the game in the first half by getting to the basket and converting five three-point plays. Breslin and Stem both had a pair of three-point plays in the opening 20 minutes for the Shoremen, who were out-rebounded, 23-10 in the opening 20 minutes, but forced 13 Johns Hopkins turnovers before intermission to stay close. Washington was down, 36-26 before Stem ignited a 15-5 run by scoring seven points in less than two minutes to help force a 41-41 tie with 1:54 remaining. Junior Bobby Sharafeddin (Silver Spring, MD/Barrie School) converted a rare four-point play with just over a minute remaining to give the Blue Jays the 45-41 halftime lead. The game would never be tied again.

Valerio's previous career-high was 11 points against Dickinson last season, while this also marked the second time in the last three games the Blue Jays have had four players score in double figures. The Blue Jays held a 42-25 rebounding advantage and hit 11-of-24 three-pointers and 17-of-21 from the free throw line to seal the win.

Washington got a game-high 24 points and six rebounds from Breslin, 21 points from Stem and 10 from Moore and the Shoremen hit 24-of-30 from the free throw line, but the rebounding deficit (JHU had 14 offensive rebounds) and JHU's hot shooting from three-point range were too much to overcome.

Johns Hopkins will return to action on Tuesday night when the Blue Jays play at Haverford. Washington will travel to Gettysburg on Tuesday.

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