Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

John Carroll University Athletics

home of the Blue Streaks
PJ Flannery at Wilmington
Lizz Hadley
PJ Flannery led JCU with 19 points as his family looked on from the stands. 
78
Winner John Carroll JCU 8-15,2-13 OAC
72
Wilmington (OH) WILM 6-19,4-14 OAC
Winner
John Carroll JCU
8-15,2-13 OAC
78
Final
72
Wilmington (OH) WILM
6-19,4-14 OAC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
John Carroll JCU 41 37 78
Wilmington (OH) WILM 42 30 72

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Deuce Zak, Staff Writer

Men's Basketball Conquers Quakers in OAC Tournament Opener

WILMINGTON, Ohio -- Heading into tonight's Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament opener, the Blue Streaks of John Carroll University had lost eight straight games, including several games that had final margins of less than six points.

John Carroll entered the modified tournament as the #10 seed. But despite losing twice to Wilmington in the regular season, the Blue Streaks got it done in the postseason. The Blue and Gold returned the favor for Saturday's loss, knocking off No. 7 seed Fightin' Quakers, 78-72. 

Perhaps senior Hugh Brown said it best after the game: "We needed that. Bad." 

These two teams picked up right where they left off on Saturday, coming out from the jump in the first half playing physical and tough on both ends of the floor. Neither team got more than 6 points of separation, and the lead changed hands a handful of times throughout the first half. 

The Blue Streaks got contributions on both ends from a myriad of men on offense. Eric Hanna, Hugh Brown, and William Wallace provided substantial defensive contributions, as they looked to limit Wilmington star Jeffery Mansfield. Both sides traded tough buckets throughout the first half, and each team's top players led the charge. The Blue Streaks entered the half down by one, 42-41. 

The defensive intensity for the Blue Streaks turned up a notch in the second half, forcing several Quaker turnovers, including the game-sealing steal by PJ Flannery. Once again, both teams traded buckets consistently throughout the half, with the Quakers going up by as much as seven, and the Blue Streaks leading by as many as seven. Each time either team would show signs of pulling away, the other would force a couple stops and make some baskets to close the gap. 

In particular, the Blue Streaks went down 50-43 early in the half before engineering an 8-0 run to turn the tide and take a 51-50 lead. As the half wore on, the JCU defense continued to wear on the Quakers, pestering them both every time down the floor. Brown, Hanna, and Wallace continued their defensive efforts and forced several misses from Mansfield. In the end, the Blue Streaks managed to gain separation late, and survived a late charge by the Quakers. The Blue Streaks won their first OAC matchup in several weeks, and advanced to the OAC Tournament Quarterfinal. 

The Blue Streaks got contributions from several different places tonight. PJ Flannery topped the team in scoring with 19 points, getting it done all over the floor, hitting a trio of triples and not missing a two-point shot. David Gentry chipped in 14, and was a force on the glass, making several hustle plays. Omar Abuhamdeh once again stepped up, scoring 10 points and nailing a pair of 3-pointers. Connor O'Toole (11 points) and Jackson Sartain (10 points) each reached double figures, as well.  

Tomorrow, the Blue and Gold travel to Alliance to take on the nationally ranked No. 8 Mount Union Purple Raiders in the OAC Quarterfinal.
Print Friendly Version

Sponsors