GETTYSBURG, PA – Host and top-seeded Gettysburg went 6-of-10 from the free throw line in the final 53 seconds to seal a 51-47 win over Johns Hopkins in the Centennial Conference Championship game Sunday afternoon. The Blue Jays slip to 20-7 on the season while the Bullets improve to 18-9.
Trailing 47-41 with 46 ticks on the clock,
Wyatt Eglinton Manner stole a Bullets' pass just over midcourt and quickly drained a three to cut the deficit in half. Aidan Mess sank a pair of free throws for Gettysburg on the ensuing possession before an
Evan Rainville corner three made it a 49-47 game with 11 seconds to play. The Blue Jays would come up empty on their final two possessions while Alex Grospe and Ray Zamloot would each go one-of-two from the stripe to seal the win.
Hopkins grabbed an early 10-3 lead, fueled by four points each from Eglinton Manner and
Charlie Jackson. The Bullets used a 5-2 spurt to pull back within four at the 12:03-mark. Eglinton Manner then hit a floater, followed by
Will Stevenson and Rainville buckets sandwiched around a Lorenzo Carrara triple and it was 18-11 Blue Jays.
Kosta Radulovic made a driving layup at 8:10 to spark a 19-4 Gettysburg run that bridged halftime. Five players scored during the run, led by Reece Craft's nine, as the Bullets pushed out to a 30-22 lead just two minutes into the second. The Blue Jays cut deficit to three with 13:27 to play with five unanswered points. Gettysburg came right back with an 8-0 run to push its lead 11 less than five minutes later.
Tanti Felli and Jackson made back-to-back buckets to spark a 14-7 spurt that chewed up nearly six and a half minutes.
Logan Feller capped the run with a three-pointer and Gettysburg's lead was 45-41 with 1:52 on the clock. Despite those two late triples from Eglinton Manner and Rainville, the Bullets' six-of-10 showing from the line clinched the win.
Eglinton Manner led the Blue Jays with 15 points, four assists and two steals. Jackson added 11 points, including his 500
th of the season, and seven boards. Felli added eight points and two blocks. Craft led the Bullets with a double-double, finishing with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Grospe tallied 13 points as the only other Bullet in double figures.
Hopkins will now await a possible at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament. The bracket is slated to be announced on Monday, March 2 at 1:00 pm. Fans can watch the selection show on NCAA.com.
Notes: Jackson now has 510 points on the season, fourth most in program history. It is also just the fifth 500-point season in program history.
