Box Score Dec. 8, 2007
Box Score
CARLISLE, PA - Trailing by six points with 4:54 to play, Johns Hopkins rallied with a 17-0 run to defeat Dickinson 70-59 in Centennial Conference action Saturday afternoon. The Blue Jays improve to 5-4 overall and 2-2 in the Centennial heading into the holiday break. The Red Devils fall to 4-3 overall and 1-2 in the conference.
Hopkins led early on a bucket by senior Kevin Roach (Derwood, MD/Colonel Zadok Magruder) and the Blue Jays did not trail in the opening 20 minutes. Though the Red Devils closed the half with four unanswered to make it a 32-29 game at the break.
Dickinson came out firing to start the second half, opening with a 5-0 run to take its first lead of the day at 34-32. Hopkins answered with five straight to retake the lead, but it did not last long as back-to-back to baskets by Tom Leszczynski and Mike Geosits gave the Red Devils a 38-37 lead less than five minutes in. Dickinson extended its lead with a pair of free throws from Kizmahr Grell and a lay-up by Geosits.
Junior Collin Kamm (Avon, NJ/Saint Rose) sandwiched a pair of jumpers around a missed trey from Grell and Dickinson's lead was down to one. But Matt Dolan answered with a three for the Red Devils and it was a 45-41 game with 13:01 to play. A lay-up from sophomore Andrew Farber-Miller (Charlottesville, VA/St. Anne's-Belfied) and an old-fashioned three-point play by Kamm and the Blue Jays led 46-45.
Once again the lead was short-lived as Grell hit two from the line to give Dickinson back the lead. Hopkins briefly tied it up less than a minute later on a three-pointer from junior Phil Beggans (Ocean, NJ/Ocean), but a three from Leszczynski put the score back in Dickinson's favor. Dickinson would extend its lead to 59-53 with less than five minutes to play.
Hopkins come back came at the free throw line. After a turnover by Leszczynski, senior Doug Polster (Bernardsville, NJ/Bernards) was fouled by Geosits on a three-point attempt. With a career free throw percentage of 80.2 percent, Polster stepped to the line and hit all three attempts igniting Hopkins game-ending run. The Red Devils could not convert on their next possession as Roach grabbed one of his 11 defensive rebounds. A jumper from Polster and the Blue Jays' deficit was down to one with 2:26 to play.
The turning point came just 21 seconds later when Polster fouled Geosits on a rebound. Geosits was then given a technical foul and both players would go to the line. Polster converted both of his attempts to give Hopkins a 60-59 lead. Geosits then missed both of his shots with sophomore Pat O'Connell (Baltimore, MD/Loyola Blakefield) grabbing the rebound on the second miss. Farber-Miller then hit a lay-up for Hopkins final field goal of the game. The Blue Jays would convert eight straight free throws, six by Polster, to seal the win.
Polster led the Blue Jays for the third straight game, punching up 16 points, with 11 coming at the charity stripe. Farber-Miller chipped in a career-high 14 points, with Kamm adding 11 on 5-of-6 shooting. Roach pulled down a game and career-high 14 rebounds while also dishing four assists and blocking two shots. Four Red Devils hit in double-figures, led by Grell's 16 points.
Hopkins is now idle for the next holiday break and will return to action at the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic hosted by York College. Hopkins will take on Elizabethtown on January 4 at 4:00 pm. Eastern and York will square off in the match-up.
