Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

John Carroll University Athletics

home of the Blue Streaks
Luke Chicone defense vs. OTT on 1-17-24
Jose Figueroa
On the night when his basketball card debuted, Luke Chicone led all scorers with 24 points. 
69
Otterbein OTT 10-6,4-5 OAC
89
Winner John Carroll JCU 15-1,9-0 OAC
Otterbein OTT
10-6,4-5 OAC
69
Final
89
John Carroll JCU
15-1,9-0 OAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Otterbein OTT 38 31 69
John Carroll JCU 44 45 89

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Jack Stephens, Staff Writer

Blue Streaks Clip Cardinals to Complete Round 1 of OAC Play Unbeaten

UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS -- A dominant second half from the Blue Streaks kept up the hot streak for the team in University Heights. 

Two players scoring in the twenties advanced John Carroll to its seventh straight win over the Otterbein Cardinals, 89-69, to remain undefeated in Ohio Athletic Conference play. 

This win moves the Blue Streaks to a perfect 9-0 through the first half of OAC play, marking the first time the Blue Streaks achieved the feat since the 2015-2016 season. That memorable squad opened 14-0 in conference play that year as part of an impressive 21-0 start.

Otterbein captured the opening bucket off the tipoff, but Luke Frazier quickly answered for the Blue Streaks with a deep ball. A back-and-forth first couple minutes found the game tied at 14 at the 13-minute mark. JCU would then explode off to an 8-0 run, off five points from Jerry Higgins III and a three pointer from Chase Toppin. The Cardinals clawed their way back into the game off of a connection from downtown from freshman forward Chase Garito. 

The Cardinals did not bow out of the fight, as the teams traded buckets down the stretch of the first half. Each team showcased its fair share of tenacious defense and tough shots, but the free throw shooting from Otterbein kept them in it, shooting 13-of-14 from the charity stripe. John Carroll forward Will Yontek put the cap on an exciting first half with a thunderous dunk over two Cardinals. The teams entered the locker room with momentum quickly swinging in favor of JCU, as the Blue Streaks concluded the half up 44-38.

Chicone and Toppin lead the Blue Streaks offensively, each with 10 points. Frazier was not too far behind them with eight points and an assist. Julian Heckman led the way for the Cardinals with 10 points. Garito and Troy Scowden each added seven points for Otterbein. With the Cardinals' leading scorer not playing, John Carroll held Otterbein's second leading scorer out of the box score in the first half.  

The back-and-forth affair would be put to bed quickly by the Blue Streaks in the second half, as the hosts exploded to score the first 14 points of the half, giving JCU its largest lead of the evening up till that point, with a 20-point advantage. After two straight buckets by the Cardinals, Chicone put the basketball in on a screen scoring a contested jumper, ending the Otterbein momentum. 

The full court pressure and depth of John Carroll really started to make their presence known down the stretch. Imposing their will on the defensive side, the Blue Streaks held the Cardinals to 11-of-25 shooting from the field and 2-of-9 from deep in the second half. JCU's effort on the defensive side would help them hold their twenty point lead for the remainder of the game, winning, 89-69. 

On a night in which Chicone's basketball card debuted, the Mentor native scored a game-high 24 points on 60% shooting. The Blue Streaks also got a massive contribution from Frazier with 20 points and great defense throughout the entirety of his 27 minutes of action. The Cardinals had four players score in the double figures, with Heckman leading the way with 14. 

"The experience we got from already playing a year with each other is really starting to pay off," Chicone commented after another 20-point effort. "Our discipline with putting in the work off the court has really separated us."

The Blue Streaks return to the floor Saturday at 2 pm as they travel to Ada, to take on the Ohio Northern Polar Bears. 
Print Friendly Version

Sponsors