The Basics
• Score: Johns Hopkins-56, Franklin & Marshall-44
• Records: JHU (18-2, 15-1 Centennial) • F&M (9-12, 7-9 Centennial)
• Location: Baltimore, MD • Goldfarb Gymnasium
 
How it Happened
The Johns Hopkins women's basketball team used its patented strong defense and two career-best scoring performances to turn an early nine-point deficit into a 56-44 win over Franklin & Marshall Tuesday night in Goldfarb Gymnasium.
 
The Diplomats came out firing in the first quarter as they built the early nine-point lead (16-7) on the hot shooting of Kennedy Wilburn, who had six first-quarter points.  The Blue Jays closed the gap to five at the end of the opening 10 minutes as freshman Jadyn Murray scored twice inside in the last 70 seconds to make it 18-13 F&M at the end of one.

The Blue Jays grabbed a one-point lead at halftime (27-26) as they outscored the Diplomats 14-8 in the second quarter.  After the Diplomats hit 8-of-15 first-quarter shots and had just two turnovers in the opening 10 minutes, the Blue Jay defense turned up the pressure in the second quarter and harassed the Dips into 3-of-10 shooting and six turnovers in the period.  Freshman Michaela O'Neil had the hot hand for the Blue Jays in the quarter as she scored seven of JHU's 14 points.
 
The defense stayed strong for the Blue Jays out of halftime as they held the Diplomats to just two field goals and pushed the one-point lead to eight at 40-32 at the end of three.  Diarra Oden and Greta Miller had four points apiece in the quarter and Hopkins grabbed seven offensive rebounds that it turned into seven second-chance points in the period.
 
A three-pointer from O'Neil and a layup from Murray in the first 90 seconds of the fourth quarter pushed the lead to 45-32 and the Blue Jays never allowed the Diplomats to get closer than 11 in the final eight minutes of the game.
 
What it Means
• Johns Hopkins ran its school-record winning streak to 14 games and improved to 18-2 overall and 15-1 in the Centennial.
 
• The 18-2 start is tied for the best 20-game start in school history.  Johns Hopkins previously started 18-2 in 1997-98, 2003-04 and 2011-12.
 
• Johns Hopkins held the opposition to 45 points or less for the 12^th time this season.  The Blue Jays entered the game ranked second in the nation in scoring defense.
 
Inside the Box Score
•  Corpuz had scored a total of 46 points and had hit for double figures just once (11 vs. Muhlenberg) before dropping a career-high 18 in tonight's win.
 
• O'Neil scored in double figures for the second consecutive game and the fourth time in her career as she punched up a career-high-tying 12 points; this was her second straight game with 12.
 
• Murray (8 pts / 11 reb.) and Oden (8 / 10) narrowly missed posting double-doubles in the win.
 
• Wilburn paced the Diplomats with 15 points and Natalie Kolb added 10, but F&M managed just 26 points over the final three quarters after the 18-point first quarter.
 
• The Blue Jays held a 44-27 advantage on the glass and held a 19-4 margin in second-chance points.
 
Up Next
• The Jays have a quick turnaround as they will be back in action on Thursday, February 10 when they travel to Gettysburg for a showdown with league-leading Gettysburg (18-2, 16-0 Centennial).