BALTIMORE, MD – Johns Hopkins scored the final five points of the game to beat Gettysburg, 69-67, in overtime in the Centennial Conference Semifinals Friday night at Goldfarb Gym. The Blue Jays improve to 17-9 and advance to the championship game for the seventh straight year.
 
Trailing 67-64 as the clock ticked under two minutes, Jeb Williams hit a layup to pull the Blue Jays within one. JHU then got back-to-back defensive stops before a Wyatt Eglinton Manner bucket with 11.7 seconds to play put Hopkins up 68-67. Luke Thorburn then drew a charge on the ensuing possession and with five seconds on the clock, John Windley got sent to the line. Windley made one of two free throws to make it a two-point game and Malachi Briscoe's jumper at the buzzer missed the mark.
 
This one was a back-and-forth affair from the opening whistle and Gettysburg held a 14-13 lead at the 12:27-mark. Thorburn then hit a layup to spark an 8-4 spurt as Hopkins went up 21-18 with 8:56 to go in the half. Gettysburg answered with a 13-1 run, with Lorenzo Carrara and Jordan Stafford combining for nine points, to push out to a 31-22 lead six minutes later.
 
The Blue Jays used a 9-5 run, that bridged halftime, to cut the deficit to five just 20 seconds into the second. The teams traded buckets over the ensuing four minutes and Gettysburg's lead was eight (46-38) with 15:08 to play. A Will Stevenson three-pointer then ignited a 15-6 Blue Jay run that saw Hopkins grab a 53-52 lead at the 8:45-mark. Tanti Felli punctuated the run with a dunk, his second in two-minute span.
 
Hopkins' lead was short-lived as six straight points for Gettysburg saw the visitors grab a 58-53 lead. The Blue Jays responded with a 9-2 run, over a nearly six-minute span. Brian Johansson capped the run with a floater in the paint to put JHU up 62-60 with 25 seconds on the clock. Carl Schaller answered with a layup on the other end to force overtime. Gettysburg opened overtime with a 5-2 run to go up 67-64, setting the stage for Hopkins' comeback.
 
Eglinton Manner scored a game-high 21 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to finish with a double-double. Johansson finished with 12 points and seven rebounds, while Felli nearly had a double-double with eight points and nine rebounds. Schaller and Stafford led the Bullets with 16 points apiece, while Nate Williams added 12 points. Stafford and Briscoe finished with a team-best six rebounds each and Hopkins dominated the boards, 45-30.
 
Hopkins will travel to Lancaster, PA on Sunday to take on top-seeded Franklin & Marshall. The Centennial Conference Championship game is scheduled for a 2:00 pm tip.