Despite three late three-pointers from Mike Hartnett and Conor Tilow in an attempt to make a last minute comeback, the host Blue Streaks could not claim the 2010 John Steadman Classic Championship, losing to Olivet College, 86-79.
The #18 ranked Blue Streaks fall to 4-1 on the season with the loss, while Olivet improves to an even 3-3 mark.
Box Score
From the get-go, the Comets and Blue Streaks played an up-tempo game. John Carroll prides themselves in their ability to wear out teams by running the floor, but the Comets had little problem breaking the Blue Streak press.
After junior guards Joe Meyer and Mike Hartnett combined for all nine of the squads three-pointers in last night's ball game, the duo knocked down three of four shots from beyond the arc in the first half to give JCU a slight edge in that category.
On Meyer's second deep ball, the Streaks took their largest lead of the game, a 23-17 edge with 10:02 remaining in the half. But the Comets would work hard to narrow the deficit before the break. After senior guard Andre Evans missed a deep two-pointer at the first half horn, John Carroll took a 35-34 lead into the locker room.
But John Carroll could not keep the scoring margin in their favor in the second half. After losing the lead with 17 minutes to play, the Comets would never look back. Evans hit a pair of free throws to knot the game at 40-40, before senior forward Michael McClary and company took the lead for good.
The Streaks refused to give up, as they put together a 6-1 run in less than a minute to square things at 66-66. But from there, the Comets responded with a 15-5 run of their own. Taking a lot more time off the clock, Olivet led 81-70 with only :38 ticks remaining. Three-point efforts from Hartnett and Tilow proved futile in the final minute, as John Carroll lost their first home game of the season.
“We have to play more consistently on both ends of the floor,” said head coach Mike Moran after the game. “We didn't do a good job with our half court defense, we took some ill-advised shots at times and we didn't finish well at the rim on the offensive end. When you add those things up, it's a loss.”
All but five of Olivet's 52 second-half points came courtesy of senior forward Michael McClary, Evans and junior Jaren Edsall who canned a couple of momentum building three-pointers. The Comets also knocked down their free throws when they were needed most, connecting on 19-23 in the second period.
Two of John Carroll's last three games have seen them battle All-Americans from a season ago. The difference in each contest was the second half effort from each player. Unlike Carthage's Steve Djurickovic, McClary erupted for 22 of his 32 points in the second half. McClary also added 14 rebounds in the victory.
“He (McClary) is a very good player,” continued Moran. “He is big, strong and has excellent touch on his shot. We have to play better against an opponent of his caliber. Hopefully, we don't have to play against too many players better than him.”
Additionally for the Comets, Andre Evans finished with 21 points while Jaren Edsall contributed 17 in the win. The Blue Streaks were led by 20 points from Tilow, who also led the squad with six boards. Kyle Hubbard added 13 points off the bench.
