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John Carroll University Athletics

home of the Blue Streaks
Corbin Anthony
Amy Morris
64
Otterbein OTT 2-6,2-6 OAC
81
Winner John Carroll JCU 4-3,4-3 OAC
Otterbein OTT
2-6,2-6 OAC
64
Final
81
John Carroll JCU
4-3,4-3 OAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Otterbein OTT 38 26 64
John Carroll JCU 39 42 81

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Anna Meyer, Staff Writer

Men's Basketball Bookends Regular Season with Victory on Senior Night

UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, Ohio -- Momentum plays a critical role in a team's success during the regular season and postseason. After tonight's 81-65 victory over Muskingum, the John Carroll University Men's Basketball team garnishes their third straight win, adding significant momentum as the Blue Streaks head into their first Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament game on Tuesday, March 3.

Before the game, John Carroll honored their seniors: Jackson Sartain, Luke Hippler, Emil Hess, Corbin Anthony and team manager Ryan Hite. The seniors have combined for a current winning record of 60-32 over their four seasons at JCU, making for plenty of special moments in the Tony DeCarlo Varsity Center and elsewhere.

"I've known most of these guys since high school. I love all four of them," said Assistant Coach Frank O'Brien. "Ryan Hite has been a tremendous addition to the staff as well, as he's always there with a smile. We love the families, too, our players are blessed to have good parents. They epitomize what we want JCU athletes to be." 

The first half was a battle for every single possession. John Carroll went on a 6-0 run, pushing them to a 27-20 lead at the 7:57 mark of the first half. Otterbein responded soon after with a seven-point run closing John Carroll's lead to four points (35-31).  

The result of such similar aptness resulted in John Carroll leading by only one point going into the half (39-38). 
Both teams nearly performed the exact same with John Carroll shooting 46.7% from the field while Otterbein shot 46.9%. The result of such similar aptness resulted in John Carroll leading by only one point going into the half. 

The key difference in the second half was John Carroll's dominant offense. In the second half, the Blue and Gold outshot the Cardinals 42.9% to 28.1% from the field. 

"Coach Pat Moran runs our offense, he does a wonderful job. We're a good shooting team, nice to see it materialize on game night," exclaimed O'Brien. "We've had some great practices lately, it's good to see it translate in a game. Jackson is the best shooter I've coached, and I've coached 40 years of high school and college. To his credit, no one works than him. It's contagious, other kids hit shots because of him."

After halftime, John Carroll outscored Otterbein 42-26. John Carroll's sharp shooting from behind the arc allowed JCU to shoot 55.6% resulting in 15 of the 16 points for the margin of victory. Eric Bucker, Mason Trubisky, Erica Hanna, Sartain and Hippler all hit three-point shots in the second half. 

The seniors paved the way for John Carroll's victory with Sartain putting up 20 points followed by Hippler with 14 points on the night. Hippler also grabbed seven boards contributing significantly to the two-game sweep over Otterbein this weekend.

"They're good basketball players and also great human beings who will be successful in life," noted O'Brien. "Jackson will be back, and Hippler will be back as a GA. It'll be great to have them around another year. I'm too old to cry, but I had a tear in my eye for every one of them. We love them and are blessed to have them."

The Blue Streaks' location, opponent and time for Tuesday's Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament game will be announced shortly. Stick with jcusports.com to find out details on the JCU  contest. 
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