Trying to analyze the John Carroll men’s basketball team may take a team of scientists working around the clock.
How else to figure out how the Blue Streaks find new and interesting ways to win games. Saturday in New Concord required a late three-pointer to extend the game and clutch free throws in the overtime to pull out a 92-89 win over a relentless Muskingum squad.
Box Score
John Carroll started out strong, taking an 11-4 lead over the early stages of the game. But Muskingum would chip away at the Streaks and take its first lead on a three-point play by Kyle Clinedinst.
Muskingum would hold the lead until the final seconds of the half, when Michael Hartnett drained a three-pointer to give the Blue Streaks a 34-33 advantage heading into the intermission.
The Blue Streaks again started out well, establishing a 42-36 lead on a Matt Crozier lay-up less than three minutes into the second period.
But Muskingum would build a head of steam, first passing JCU on a Carson Thomas three-pointer with 11:13 on the clock. Not content simply to pass the Streaks, Muskingum seemed on the verge of running away from them. When Clory Borquin drained a three-pointer with 7:44 left, he gave the Muskies a 65-54 edge.
JCU would fight back, thanks to a 15-4 run, to tie the game at 69-69 on a Crozier lay-up. But the Blue Streaks were unable to wrest away the lead. The game would flow within a four-pont margin down the stretch, with John Carroll keeping Muskingum at a one possession length in the final minute.
Facing a three-point deficit with 13 seconds left, Matt Crozier was able to make both free throws to cut the home team’s lead to 78-77. Borquin was fouled with four seconds left, and the Muskie junior calmly sank both tosses to give his team a three-point lead, setting up a dramatic conclusion to regulation.
After calling a 20-second timeout. John Carroll put the ball in the hands of Corey Shontz who would send the game into extra time when he sank a three-pointer with one tick left.
In the overtime period, it took 100 seconds for John Carroll to build an 86-81 advantage, keyed by a three-pointer from Rudy Kirbus. But JCu went cold as Muskingum clawed back to 86-85 with 1:30 remaining.
With the roles reversed from the end of regulation, John Carroll would prevent Muskingum from going ahead. The two teams traded baskets (Crozier for JCU, Nick Hershberger for Muskingum) to keep it a one-point affair heading into the final 20 seconds. First, Chris Zajac would draw the foul and sink two free throws. Not letting Muskingum attempt a three-pointer, JCU fouled Thomas with three seconds left. Thomas would make both, making the score 90-89.
Brian Dandrea would be tested in the final second, and he passed with flying colors by sinking his free tosses to seal the win.
John Carroll (13-5, 9-3 OAC), which drew into a first place tie with its win and a loss from Wilmington, was led by 24 points from Shontz. Crozier added 16 and Joey Meyer contributed 14 points to the Blue Streaks’ fourth consecutive win.
Muskingum (5-13, 1-11 OAC) was paced by a game-high 29 points and nine rebounds from Hershberger.