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John Carroll University Athletics

home of the Blue Streaks
Chase Toppin at Marietta on 1-13-24
Rebecca Wheeler
Chase Toppin played an excellent game at Marietta on Saturday.
81
Winner John Carroll JCU 14-1,8-0 OAC
71
Marietta MAR 11-4,5-3 OAC
Winner
John Carroll JCU
14-1,8-0 OAC
81
Final
71
Marietta MAR
11-4,5-3 OAC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
John Carroll JCU 48 33 81
Marietta MAR 28 43 71

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

Blue Streaks Pass Test at the Banjo with a Big Victory over Marietta

MARIETTA – Playing in Ban Johnson Arena is one of the most difficult things to do in Division III, especially for Ohio Athletic Conference teams. 

For the Blue Streaks, however, the Mount Union magic from Wednesday carried over into this afternoon. 

John Carroll Men's Basketball silenced the rowdy Pioneer fans en route to a huge 81-71 win, improving to 13-1 on the season. 

Another hot shooting first half for the Blue Streaks built a quick 20-point lead. The large cushion allowed JCU to weather a late Pioneer storm for the win. 
    
This contest was close, until it wasn't, until it was again. The opening minutes of the contest featured a lot of back and forth play from both teams, with the Pioneers going on an 8-2 run to open the game behind a couple three-pointers. The #8 team in the country countered with a quick 7-0 run to retake the lead at 9-8, and off both teams went. Baskets were traded throughout the first 14 minutes in the first half, with both teams getting big contributions from their stars. 

At the six-minute mark, the Blue Streaks enjoyed a 5-point lead, and all of a sudden, it started raining in the Banjo. The Blue Streaks hit five three-pointers in the final six minutes, going on a blistering 22-7 run in the final stage of the opening frame, extending a 5-point lead all the way to 20 at the end of the first half, courtesy of a buzzer-beating triple in front of the Pioneer student section. 

The Blue and Gold were frighteningly accurate in the first half, shooting 19-of-33 from the field, including 8-of-16 from deep. The defensive effort during the run created fits for the Pioneers, and the 3-2 zone that beat the Blue Streaks in the OAC semifinals last season was not as effective this time around, as JCU enjoyed a 48-28 lead. 
    
Ban Johnson Arena may be the hardest arena to play at in the country, and the second half proved that fact in spades. 

The home squad is always a gritty, physical bunch, and the second half started with a quick Pioneer run, closing the gap to 15 at 48-33. The Blue Streaks managed to stave off several early runs by Marietta, but as the rowdy crowd began to find its voice again, the Blue Streaks began to tire.

The hot Blue Streak shooting tapered quite a bit in the second half. The visitors frequently went several minutes without scoring in multiple different instances. The Pioneer zone that gave the Streaks fits last season started to wear on the visitors, and as the three-point shooting disappeared, so did the space to operate on offense. 

Every bucket in the final 10 minutes was hard-fought for the Blue Streaks, and the big men were huge in providing an offensive boost to keep the Pioneers at bay. Henry Raynor and Will Yontek managed to get timely baskets at the rim, a welcome sight at times in the final period. 

The Pioneers continued to chip away, and eventually clawed to within four at 71-67 with 2:34 remaining in the contest. The noise in the arena reached a fever pitch, and the Blue Streaks needed a bucket of any kind on the ensuing possession. A score was needed, and Luke Chicone picked up the phone. A clutch three only nine seconds later brought the first Blue Streak score in nearly 3 minutes, taking the lid off the hoop and putting the game back to a three possession affair. 

The Pioneers would only score four more points in the final two minutes, and clutch free throws by Luke Chicone gave the Blue Streaks their second straight victory at Ban Johnson, maintaining first place in the OAC. 

The Pioneers led a furious comeback late in this one, and The Blue Streaks weathered the storm for a tough 81-71 win. Luke Frazier credited Chicone for being able to survive the run. 

"Luke [Chicone] hitting the three to get the lead to seven was huge… We just wanted it more, we're gritty," said Frazier. 

The stars once again made the difference for the Blue Streaks in this one. Guards Chase Toppin and Luke Chicone scored a combined 42 points to lead the way for the Blue and Gold, with Chicone adding 7 assists and Toppin grabbing five huge rebounds. Luke Frazier chipped in 15 points, and Henry Raynor added 10. Luka Eller led the team in rebounds with 8, providing a huge defensive boost on the interior. 

The Blue Streaks shot an even 50% from the field on 64 shots, and 37% from three. 

The next matchup for the Blue Streaks will be at home, as the Otterbein Cardinals come to town for a midweek OAC matchup in the first game at the Tony DeCarlo Varsity Center after break. 
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