Box Score Late momentum can be a key in a basketball game.
 
Late momentum was not on the side of the John Carroll University men's basketball team on Saturday as the Blue Streaks dropped an 85-80 decision to Nazareth in the opener of the Hilbert College Tip-Off Tournament.
 
The tournament was originally slated for back in November but was postponed due to heavy snowfall in the Buffalo area.
 
John Carroll was led by its big men as Doug Caputo and Jake Hollinger combined to score 39 points for the Blue and Gold. The duo both had double digits by halftime.
 
John Carroll used a 13-1 run to open up a 10-point lead less than seven minutes into the game. JCU's big inside duo on the first unit established itself from the get-go with eight points coming between Hollinger and Caputo. Hollinger, a senior, was responsible for the Blue and Gold's first six points of the contest.
 
A dunk from Caputo pushed the Blue Streaks' lead to 14 with 10:33 remaining in the first half. Nazareth came back pulling to six points back with 5:32 remaining. The Golden Flyers could not capitalize at the free throw line missing six attempts down the stretch.
 
Danny Wallack extended the lead back to double digits with 1:05 remaining in the frame with JCU's only 3-pointer over the first 20 minutes.
 
Nazareth cut John Carroll's lead to two with 15:32 remaining in the game. The Blue Streaks answered with a 9-0 run to make the score 57-46 with 13:07 left.
 
The Golden Flyers took the lead with 1:37 remaining on a layup by Maurice Mills. The lead came as part of a 10-0 run by Nazareth.
 
Hollinger led the Blue Streaks with 20 points and 12 rebounds for his third double-double of the year. It was Hollinger's third 20-point game of the year. Caputo added 19 points on the afternoon.
 
John Carroll fell to 7-3 while Nazareth improved to 3-5.
 
John Carroll will play the loser of the Hilbert-SUNY-Potsdam contest in the consolation game at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 4.