Box Score There will be no post-Thanksgiving dormancy for the John Carroll University basketball team.
 
After losing the lead for the first time in over 20 minutes of game play, the Blue Streaks responded with an 11-0 run midway in the second half to defeat the host Kalamazoo Hornets, 87-76, Saturday afternoon in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
 
JCU improves to 4-0 for the fourth time since the 2013-14 season.
 
Aided by an early 12-2 run, the Blue and Gold took an 11-point lead into the locker room at Kalamazoo College. However, the Hornets did not waver despite being down 46-35 at halftime.
 
Kalamazoo came out strong in the second half to sting the Blue Streaks with an 18-6 start just six minutes following the break. The Hornets led 53-52 at the 14:05 mark in the second stanza.
 
"They ended up coming out of the half and hitting some contested shots," senior Connor Fitzgerald said afterward. "Coach [Moran] called a timeout to regroup us and made some adjustments to tighten up the defense."
 
The adjustments worked, and worked quite well.
 
Fitzgerald came off the bench and scored all of his five points to spark the key 11-0 run. JCU regained a 63-53 double-digit lead at that point.
 
"I just want to do whatever I can do to provide a spark off the bench that gets everyone going," he said. "Whether that's hitting shots, taking a charge, or providing energy… I just want to make that play that will help us go on those types of runs."
 
John Carroll's all-time leader in three-point percentage, Jackson Sartain, added five points as well. The Blue and Gold went ahead 69-55, a large enough differential that no Kalamazoo comeback would put the lead back into the hands of the Hornets.
 
"Our mindset was to not panic and stay composed," Sartain said after the game. "We knew if we kept moving the ball from side to side, shots will open up and things will soon go our way. Also we wanted to make our defense a priority and turn it into easy baskets on offense."
 
Sartain iced the game with two late three-pointers, the last one placing the Blue Streaks ahead by 19 points — their largest lead of the afternoon. He led the game with 25 points and supplemented defensively with two steals and five rebounds.
 
In the previous game against Case Western, Sartain (0-6 from three) had one of the worst shooting games of his career. He followed it up with a season-high 25 points, shooting 9-14 from beyond the arc.
 
"After last game, I told myself not to panic and shooters have bad games," he said. "I told myself I just need to keep shooting and not lose my confidence."

The Blue Streaks led by as many as 14 points late in the first half, making Kalamazoo's early second half domination even more improbable. 

Ryan Berger was key to putting the Blue Streaks back in rhythm with 11 points in seven minutes during the Blue and Gold's climb to their 19 point lead.
 
Berger scored 21 points and led the Blue and Gold with five assists. Berger has now scored 20 points or more in every game this season.

Corbin Anthony played a key role as well, scoring a basket during the 11-0 run. He also contributed four rebounds and an assist during his seven minutes played in the second half. 
 
The Blue Streaks shot 49.2% from the field and 45.5% from three-point.
 
JCU will pick up play tomorrow in Kalamazoo against Olivet College at 1 p.m.