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John Carroll University Athletics

home of the Blue Streaks
2022-23 JCU Men's Basketball Team photo
The 2022-23 Blue Streaks earned the OAC regular season crown for the 12th time in program history.
85
Winner John Carroll JCU 22-3,16-2 OAC
72
Wilmington (OH) WILM 8-17,4-14 OAC
Winner
John Carroll JCU
22-3,16-2 OAC
85
Final
72
Wilmington (OH) WILM
8-17,4-14 OAC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
John Carroll JCU 45 40 85
Wilmington (OH) WILM 48 24 72

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

Men's Basketball Secures OAC Regular Season Championship, Home Court Advantage with Wilmington Win

WILMINGTON, Ohio -- After 25 games, the John Carroll Men's Basketball team has experienced highs, lows, tournament wins, and signature moments.

On Saturday, the Blue Streaks left University Heights for one last regular season matchup against the Wilmington Quakers, with a regular season Ohio Athletic Conference Co-Championship on the line. 

Although the Blue and Gold had a tough first half, a second-half resurgence powered the team to a 13-point win over Wilmington, 85-72, clinching home court advantage in next week's OAC Tournament.

The first 20 minutes was a challenge for the visiting squad. The starting five for JCU came out with a ton of energy, surging to an early 15-6 lead over the Quakers. A subsequent 9-0 run by Wilmington quickly tied the game, and gave the home squad some momentum. The Quakers consistently beat the Blue Streaks off the dribble, and held the lead for the rest of the first half, going up by as many as 10 in the late stages. 

In the last three minutes of the half, the JCU team that has cemented itself as one of the best squads in the country began to wake up. After altering their defensive approach, the Blue Streaks quickly went on a 7-0 run to bring the game back to with three points off the defense and scoring of Luke Chicone, and the Blue and Gold entered the locker room down three at 48-45. 
    
The second half played a much different tune for both teams. In the opening minutes of the frame, the Quakers were able to get into the lane and find open shooters, but two quick fouls by Abdul Kanu put them down their best player. And so, the Blue Streaks went to work. 

Upping the defensive intensity by several notches, the Blue and Gold got several stops in a row and continued their strong offensive showing in the paint, and started to dominate the offensive glass. Luke Chicone got the big men involved, finding Henry Raynor and Luka Eller consistently on dump offs, drawing away Quaker defenders on his drives to the bucket. An incredible effort by Jerry Higgins III on both ends of the floor provided deep shooting and strong perimeter defense. 

Riding the effort of every player on the court, the Blue Streaks gradually extended their lead, getting other guys involved in the process. What started as a 1-point lead quickly turned into a double-digit cushion for JCU, and a regular season OAC title was within reach. 

The Blue Streaks were able to cruise for the last five minutes, and JCU secured their final win of the regular season, downing the Quakers 85-72, and in doing so secured a share of the OAC regular season title and the number one seed in the OAC tournament. 

It was a big night for the John Carroll stars. Luke Chicone had yet another outstanding performance, scoring 28 points, dishing out 7 assists and racking up 6 steals. Henry Raynor had a career day, notching 16 points and grabbing 8 rebounds, a team high. Chase Toppin had a great offensive day himself, adding 15 points. Higgins was the final Blue Streak in double figures, adding 12 points and two huge 3-pointers. 
    
After finishing the previous season last in the OAC, the new core the Blue Streaks assembled over the summer has paid off in a huge way, making the biggest jump from worst to first. Despite some challenges and adversity, this team has consistently sacrificed their time, roles, and energy to put the team before themselves, and it has generated a historically special season. 

Today commemorates the 12th OAC regular season crown in school history. With a 22-3 overall record, this squad earned most wins in the regular season for JCU since 2015-16. The Blue Streaks finished with a 16-2 conference record, tied for the best in the OAC era with the 2008-09 Blue Streaks. 

The job isn't finished, however, as the all-important OAC Tournament and hopefully the NCAA Tournament now loom. First things first, the Blue Streaks will face the winner of Otterbein vs. Marietta on Thursday at 7 pm in the Tony DeCarlo Varsity Center.     
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