Feb. 12, 2011

Box Score

COLLEGEVILLE, PA - Host Ursinus used an 21-6 run that began just before halftime to pull away in a 71-55 win over Johns Hopkins Saturday afternoon. The Blue Jays slip to 6-17 overall and 4-12 in the Centennial Conference, while the Bears improve to 11-12 and 8-8 to stay alive in the hunt for a final conference playoff spot.

Sophomore Sean Wildes tipped in his own rebound with 54 seconds to play in the first half to tie the game at 30 apiece. But Matt Hilton hit a three-pointer as time expired to send Ursinus into the locker room with a three-point lead. The Bears picked up where they left off in the second as they scored the first 10 points of the half to push out to a 43-30 lead.

Sophomore Adam Spengler finally got the Blue Jays on the board in the second, sandwiching a pair of buckets around a Jon Ward lay up to make it an 11-point game at 15:16. Hopkins could get no closer than 11 points over the next four minutes as the Bears kept them at arm's length.

Leading 56-45 with 9:54 to play, Ward converted a three-point play followed by a lay up from Kevin Janowski to ignite an 11-2 run that saw the Bears push out to a 20-point lead. Ward scored seven of the Bears' 11 points during the run. Hopkins would close the game on an 8-4 run, but the damage was done as Ursinus took the 71-55 win.

Hopkins opened the game with seven straight points from sophomore Mike Rhoads, including a pair of free throws following a technical on the Bears, to take a 7-2 lead. Trailing 9-4 following a jumper from freshman Daniel Corbett, the Bears got five unanswered points from Ward to tie the game with 14:09 to play in the half. Freshman Connor McIntyre answered with a bucket in the paint to put Hopkins back on top.

A Matt Donahue three-pointer with 11:37 on the clock gave Ursinus its first lead of the game, but another McIntyre bucket tied the game at 13 apiece. Spengler then hit a pair of free throws and the Blue Jays led by two. Freshman Aleksandar Nikolic hit a jumper, followed by a three from Corbett and Hopkins led 20-15. The Bears responded with an 8-0 run, fueled by six points from Ward, to take a three-point lead.

Hopkins battled back to take a one-point lead on a pair of John Alberici free throws at 3:52, but Jesse Krasna answered with a tip-in off his own missed basket. Rhoads converted a Tim McCarty steal into a lay up and Hopkins retook the lead. But once again, Ward answered for the Bears as they closed the half on a 6-2 run that would stretch into a 21-6 run in the second half.

Alberici led the Blue Jays with 12 points, while Rhoads added 11 and McCarty swiped a career and game-high four steals. Ward led the Bears with 31 points, while Matt Hilton had 12 and Krasna added 11.

Hopkins returns to action and wraps up a three-game road swing on Wednesday, February 16 at Franklin & Marshall. Tip for the Centennial Conference match-up is set for 8:00 pm.