In the first of two matchups in the Roanoke Invitational, the John Carroll University men's basketball team fell short against the University of Mary Washington, 76-64, on Saturday afternoon in Roanoke, Virginia.

The first half made it seem as if the two teams were in for a back-and-forth contest. Mary Washington could only muster a four-point lead throughout the first half. The first half was a foreshadowing for what was to come for sophomore Luke Hippler as he provided a spark off the bench with nine points and six rebounds. After a competitive first half, John Carroll led by a narrow margin of 36-35.

The Eagles would gain the upper hand in the second half, heating up offensively. With 9:58 left in regulation and the score 55-54, Mike Janowski would drain a floater and kick off an 11-2 run to put the Eagles up 66-56.

This run proved to be the deciding factor in the game as time dwindled away. At 4:24, after a second three-point make in under 80 seconds by Jackson Sartain, the score was 68-62. Despite John Carroll being within striking distance, the Blue and Gold were unable to sustain any offense, scoring only two points in the remainder of the game.

Mary Washington outscored the Blue Streaks 8-2 over the final 4:24 of the contest.

Three Blue Streaks finished scoring at least nine points. Sartain led the team with 18 points, while Hippler and Fitzgerald followed with 15 and nine. Hippler had a career day, recording 15 points and 14 rebounds en route to recording his first career double-double. Sartain also surpassed the 500-point mark on his career after draining his fifth of six total three-pointers in the game.

Mary Washington was led by Drew Johnson, who finished with 17 points and five three-pointers. Greg Rowson, who contributed 15 points of his own, tallied a team high in rebounds with eight.

With the loss, JCU's record now stands at 5-6 on the season, while Mary-Washington improved to 8-2.

John Carroll will next compete against the Frostburg State on Sunday, December 30th on the final day of the Roanoke Invitational. Tip-off is set for 12 p.m