The Basics
• Score: Johns Hopkins-47, McDaniel-38
• Records: JHU (9-2, 6-1 Centennial) • MCD (3-9, 1-6 Centennial)
• Location: Baltimore, MD • Goldfarb Gymnasium
 
How it Happened

The Blue Jay defense was swarming all night, holding McDaniel to just 26.4% shooting from the floor while Diarra Oden scored 21 points to lead the Hopkins offense in a nine-point victory. McDaniel never shot better than 31.3% from the field in any quarter. 

Four different Blue Jays combined to score the first six points of the contest as they took a 6-4 lead with 3:51 to play after a Michaela O'Neil free throw. The Green Terror took a 9-7 lead just over a minute later, as Angela DiNunzio drilled a three. The Jays tied it up with 2:12 remaining in the first as O'Neil saved the ball on the baseline and flung it behind her back to an open Halie Egan who finished the layup. With 35 seconds to play in the quarter, Greta Miller used a nifty spin move to get to the bucket and score, but McDaniel tied it at 11-11 on a jumper by Meggie Burgess as the buzzer sounded. 

The Jays scored the first six points of the second, getting buckets from Oden and Natalie Mann and a pair of free throws from Mann to make it 17-11. After two McDaniel free throws, Jadyn Murray had a strong finish in the paint to extend it to six again, but the Green Terror scored the next four to make it 19-17 with 3:48 left in the half. The Jays defense held McDaniel scoreless over the final 3:48 and Oden scored five straight down the stretch to send Hopkins into the locker room with a seven-point advantage. 

Oden made it seven straight points as she scored the first bucket of the second half, just eight seconds in, and JHU had its largest lead of the contest at 26-17. Mallory Conroy hit a jumper for McDaniel to stop the 7-0 run, but Oden knocked down a pair of free throws 40 seconds later to give her the last 11 Hopkins points. This time it was McDaniel who tightened up on defense and went on a run, holding Hopkins scoreless for more than eight minutes and cutting the deficit to one point with a jumper from Conroy. Emily Howie finally broke the spell with 22 seconds left to play, in the third putting JHU up 30-27. Once again, McDaniel answered at the buzzer, this time it was Conroy who hit the shot to send it to the fourth quarter as a one-point game. 

O'Neil scored her first bucket of the game 50 seconds into the fourth, putting the Blue Jays on top by three points. However, Ellie Connelly drilled a three after a Josey Klingenberg offensive rebound and the game was tied for the first time since 11-11. Erin Walsh drew a foul with 7:35 to play, splitting the free throws, but putting JHU back on top 33-32. After the missed second free throw, O'Neil pulled down an offensive board, but Oden missed the second chance attempt. Kristin Ralston was there for the offensive rebound and another chance, putting the Jays up by three. After a Conroy free throw made it 35-33, Oden scored five straight and the Jays took a 40-33 lead with 4:07 to play. Now leading by six with 2:49 to play, Oden drew another foul, knocking down the pair of free throws and putting the final touches on her 21-point effort. Ralston scored again with 2:05 left, extending the Blue Jay lead to 10 and helping them pick up a fifth straight win. 
 
What it Means
• In a lenghty series history, Johns Hopkins now improves to 45-42 all-time vs. McDaniel. The Jays have now won nine consecutive matchups with the Green Terror. 
 
• Hopkins has now won five straight, the fifth time they have won at least five consecutive contests under Katherine Bixby. 

• JHU sits alone in second-place in the Centennial for the time being with a conference record of 6-1. The Jays have a point differential of +108 in Centennial contests. 
 
Inside the Box Score
•  With a game-high 21 points on the night, Oden pushed up her season scoring average to 18.4 points per contest, currently second in the Centennial Conference. 
  
• Ralston has been fantastic since her insertion into the Jays starting lineup. After a career-high nine points on Saturday, Ralston added six points and pulled down a career-high nine rebounds tonight, including five on the offensive glass. 
 
• Hopkins came into tonight ranked 10th in the nation in scoring defense at 48.1 points allowed per game. After allowing 38 tonight, that number drops to 47.2, which would've been good for seventh-nationally coming into tonight. Teams were shooting just 32.3% from the floor against the stifling Jays defense entering tonight. After holding McDaniel to 26.4%, opponents are shooting just 31.7% from the floor, tying them for 25th-nationally. 

• Johns Hopkins outrebounded McDaniel by 20 (47-27), improving their rebounding margin to 11.3 per contest. That number puts them in the top-15 nationally. 
 
Up Next
• JHU will head to Collegeville, PA on Saturday afternoon to take on the Ursinus Bears. Tip-off is slated for 12 pm.