Second chance opportunities can make or break a basketball team. This afternoon at the DeCarlo Varsity Center, second chance opportunities made John Carroll and broke Medaille.

Using 32 offensive rebounds to aid their cause, the host Blue Streaks used a strong second half to down Medaille, 68-52, Saturday afternoon in a non-conference match-up that served as John Carroll's 2014-15 home opener.

The game was in doubt after a tight first half which featured ten lead changes and five ties. An 8-3 run at the end of the period gave JCU a 34-31 advantage heading into the locker room.

It was all Blue Streaks in the second half. After Medaille's Taina Graham led off the action with a lay-up to cut the JCU lead to 34-33, the Blue Streaks scored 22 of the next 27 points over an eight-minute stretch to effectively salt the game away. The Mavericks never got closer than 13 points the rest of the way.

The key to the 22-5 run was seven offensive rebounds and six second chance points.

"Once again, our efforts in the boards paid off," said John Carroll head coach Kelly Morrone. Erin Mog did a great job with game management, Sarah Cairnie and Schmoo Pryor stepped up at both ends of the floor, and Kate Battaglia had great minutes for us."

John Carroll finished the day with 61 rebounds, the most by a Blue Streak team since pulling down 59 in a contest against Muskingum on December 11, 2002.

"Collectively everyone did their jobs and paid attention to the details," added Morrone. "Our senior leadership had created that culture. Beth Switzler, Emily Taylor and Meghan Weber are doing an excellent job in that regard."

Cairnie had her first collegiate double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds, while Mog nearly had one of her own with 11 pints and nine boards to go with four assists and three steals. Pryor was the Blue Streaks' leading scorer in just her fourth collegiate game with 13 points as John Carroll moved to 4-0 with the win.

Medaille (1-1) was paced by 12 points each from Alicia Montalvo and Morgan Howe.