The Basics
• Score: Muhlenberg-56, Johns Hopkins-52
• Records: JHU (8-5, 5-1 CC) • MC (7-6, 4-2 CC)
• Location: Baltimore, MD • Goldfarb Gym
• The Short Story: Visiting Muhlenberg held off a late rally by the Johns Hopkins men's basketball team to beat the Blue Jays, 56-52, Tuesday night.
 
How it Happened
• Muhlenberg jumped out to a 9-4 lead as four different players scored for the Mules in the game's opening six minutes. Freshman Braeden Johnson sparked a 10 Blue Jay run when he stole the ball from Dallas Hoffman and dunked it on the other end. Senior Michael Gardner followed with a steal and layup and then Johnson completed a four-point play to grab the lead for Hopkins. Senior Daniel Vila capped the run with a bucket in the paint at the 10:55-mark to stake JHU to a 14-9 lead.
• The Mules answered with a quick 6-1 spurt to pull within one just two and a half minutes later. That set the stage for a back-and-forth affair over the final eight minutes as the lead changed hands three times with a pair of ties. A layup by senior Joey Fitzpatrick with 1:16 to play in the half knotted the score at 24 and that's how the teams went into the locker room.
• Muhlenberg was hot to start the second half, using a 17-7 run to push out to a 10-point lead by the 12:20-mark. The Mules fueled the run with five three-pointers, including three from Dallas Hoffman. Seven straight points from junior Harry O'Neil, sandwiched around a Michael Morreale jumper, cut the deficit in half with 9:53 to play.
• Noah Watson answered with a three-pointer to push the lead back to eight, Fitzpatrick and Vila responded with back-to-back baskets to make it a four-point game at the 4:23-mark. Matt Gnias drained a three, the Mules' ninth of the game, just over a minute later to put Muhlenberg up 49-42.
• The teams went cold in ensuing two minutes until a three-pointer from sophomore Joey Kern with 59 ticks on the clock. Dan Gaines converted a pair of free throws on the other end and the Mules led 51-46. Johnson then cashed in on his second four-point play of the game to slice the deficit to just two with 28 seconds to go.
• Nate Henty Brown then hit three of four shots from the line and just like that the lead was five. Hopkins wasn't going away however as freshman Tom Quarry sank a three with just 6.8 seconds to go. Gaines then sealed the win at the line as he hit both of his free throws to put Muhlenberg up 56-52.
 
What it Means
• Hopkins slips to 43-19 all-time against Muhlenberg as the Mules snap a three-game losing streak in the series. This is the Blue Jays' first loss at home to the Mules since January 28, 2012.
• The Blue Jays suffer their first conference loss of the season and first since January 11, 2018 – a streak of 16 straight CC wins.
 
Inside the Box Score
• Johnson led the Blue Jays with 13 points and was the only player in double figures. Gardner handed out a game-high seven assists and Vila had three blocks. Fitzpatrick added six points and a team-best seven rebounds.
• Gaines led the Mules with a game-high 14 points while also grabbing nine boards and handing out four assists. Henty Brown finished with a double-double, chipping in 10 points and pulling 10 rebounds.
 
Up Next
• Hopkins is back on the road on Thursday as the Blue Jays travel to Haverford, PA to take on the Fords. The Centennial Conference contest is slated for a 6:00 pm start at Gooding Arena.