Three-Point Barrage, Potent Passing End Three-Game Skid for Men's Basketball

1/22/2022 8:15:00 PM | By: Logan Potosky, Staff Writer

The Blue Streaks celebrated Alumni Day with a resounding victory.

UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, Ohio -- A common phrase in the basketball world is, "You either live by the three, or die by the three." This proved to be the case on Saturday afternoon, with each team attempting 34 shots from long range.

In the first half of their Ohio Athletic Conference matchup, John Carroll Men's Basketball (7-7, 2-5 OAC) drained 10 of their 20 three-point attempts, while Muskingum (4-13, 1-9 OAC) made just three of their 15 attempts.

JCU's hot shooting allowed the Blue Streaks to come away with a 91-83 victory on Alumni Day at the Tony DeCarlo Varsity Center. JCU also celebrated Chris Green for his 30 years serving as PA announcer for JCU Men's Basketball.

The two teams traded the lead early on, with the game being tied 10-10 just under four minutes into the first half. A 7-0 JCU run propelled them to a 17-10 lead, from which they never looked back.

After the Fighting Muskies made it a 17-14 game, the Blue Streaks would answer with a 9-0 run for a 26-14 advantage nearly halfway through the first half. Eventually, the Blue and Gold used a 12-4 run to end the half with a 46-27 lead.

While not able to regain the lead, Muskingum was able to close the gap in the second half. John Carroll continued to ride their first-half momentum from deep, making their first four three-point attempts of the frame.

With just under 18 minutes remaining, the Blue Streaks took a 55-29 lead, their largest of the game. However, the Fighting Muskies were able to shrink their deficit to 10 with more than three minutes to play. But the Blue and Gold were able to hold on for the win.

John Carroll was led by senior forward PJ Flannery, who led all scorers with a career-high 22 points off the bench. Flannery, with the help of his teammates, contributed to the Blue Streaks' three-point success with a season-best four three-pointers.

"A lot of it was our team attitude and effort coming into today," Flannery said. "We focused more on ball movement, getting better shots, and getting good looks. It was that team effort of my teammates finding me in open spots."

The Blue and Gold also had graduate student Jackson Sartain score 19 points, including four three-pointers, junior guard William Wallace tally 11 points, five rebounds, and a career high eight assists, and solid bench contributions from both junior Mason Trubisky (season-high 14 points) and senior Hugh Brown (career-high seven assists and four steals). As a team, John Carroll tied a season-high with 23 assists, and their bench outscored Muskingum's 42-22.

Up next, the Blue Streaks will travel to Alliance to take on Mount Union on Wednesday, January 26 at 7 pm.

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