It took some late game heroics for the John Carroll men's basketball team to stay undefeated.

John Carroll defeated the Capital Crusaders 75-74 on Monday night at the Tony DeCarlo Varsity Center in University Heights. The Blue Streaks improve to 12-0, 5-0 OAC, while Capital moves to 7-4, 3-2 OAC.

David Linane led the Blue Streaks with 19 points. Simon Kucharewicz finished with 13 points and 11 rebounds. Mark Minch led the Crusaders with 21 points and 7 rebounds.

During the game, the new d3hoops.com poll was released; the undefeated Blue Streaks jumped to #7.

After trading baskets in the early goings, Capital came out to take the lead and kept it the entire first half. At 8:29, the lead stretched to 11 points at 31-20.

Junior David Linane hit a huge three-pointer to stop some of the Crusaders momentum with 57 seconds left. However, on the following possession, Capital's Joey Weingartner matched Linane's three to make the halftime score 49-42.

Munich led the Crusaders in the first half with 18 points and 4 assists. As a team they shot, 57.1% in the opening half and made six three-pointers.

Linane had 11 points in the first half, leading the Blue Streaks. John Carroll outrebounded the Crusaders 21-5 in the first half. Will Starks and Simon Kucharewicz both contributed four.

The Blue Streaks came out in the second half with tremendous momentum, led by Will Starks' layup and three-pointer, which cut Capital's lead to two, 51-49. Finally, after being fouled by Michael Green, Doug Caputo made two free throws to finally take the lead 54-53 at 14:32.

Capital reclaimed the lead briefly at 12:16 after a three-pointer by Tyrel Jackson, making the score 59-56. John Cirillo went up strong to the basket, making the layup and getting fouled in the process, to tie-up the game again 59-59. Kucharewicz kept the Blue Streaks momentum going and fired up the crowd with a huge dunk at 8:47.

Minch, relatively quiet the second half, was fouled by Kucharewicz and went to the line and closed the gap to one point, 68-67. John Cirillo fouled A.J. Dixon at 2:53, and Dixon made both free throws to tie up the game at 69.

Farragher contributed two more points for the Blue Streaks, but Capital immediately answered, the score dead even at 71 with one minute remaining.

Michael Green fouled out for the Crusaders with 48 seconds left, putting Will Starks at the line. However, Starks missed both free throws, but Antonio Vuyancih came up big with the rebound.

Following the timeout, Linane made a left-handed layup with 34 seconds left to put the Blue Streaks up 73-71.

The Crusaders fouled Starks immediately on the inbound pass sending him to the line. Starks made both free throws to extend their lead, 75-71, with seven seconds remaining.

After rushing down the court, Austin Schreck made a huge three-pointer for the Crusaders to cut the Blue Streaks lead back to only one with 0.5 seconds left.

The Crusaders attempted a steal on the inbound, but were not successful. The Blue Streaks defeated the press to win in front of the DeCarlo Center faithful.

John Carroll is one win away from the tying the program record of 13 straight wins.

"To pull off a win like that after being down proves that we can accomplish a lot, especially as a team," said David Linane.

The Blue Streaks will travel to Muskingum University on Saturday for a 3 p.m. game.