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John Carroll University Athletics

home of the Blue Streaks
David Gentry file photo
Peter Wangechi
74
Winner John Carroll JCU 5-4,1-2 OAC
61
Hampden-Sydney HSC 8-2,3-0 ODAC
Winner
John Carroll JCU
5-4,1-2 OAC
74
Final
61
Hampden-Sydney HSC
8-2,3-0 ODAC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
John Carroll JCU 32 42 74
Hampden-Sydney HSC 29 32 61

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Joe Ginley '16, SID

Dominant Stretch Run Paves Way for Blue Streaks to Upset #7 Hampden-Sydney

David Gentry's excellent effort plus a stingy defense keyed the road revenge

HAMPDEN-SYDNEY, Va. – Don't count out John Carroll Men's Basketball just yet. Early-season injuries threatened to derail the Blue Streak Express, but this train is just getting in motion.

A hungry Blue Streaks team rolled into Hampden-Sydney, Virginia on Friday evening, thirsting for revenge after the Tigers knocked JCU off the #1 ranking pedestal a year ago. Entering at .500, JCU surprised host #7 H-SC by leading much of the way. 

But late in the game, the Blue Streaks got a full head of steam and ran over the Tigers, utilizing a dominant 15-0 stretch to emerge victorious, 74-61. 

The conductor tonight was David Gentry. The Hudson native rose to the occasion with an outstanding effort all over the court. The senior shot the ball well, to be sure, but also rebounded well and found the open man on key plays. Once the big man gets going, he's tough to stop. 

The other top headline is John Carroll's defensive effort in the first game of the Charlie Cobb Classic. The Tigers shot just 32.4% from the field and 18.2% from 3-point range. Both are season low figures for a Tigers program that will hang a 2024 NCAA Runner-Up banner in the rafters tomorrow evening. 

The Garnet & Grey looked formidable in the early going, but did not pull away. In fact, a Gentry triple near the midway mark trimmed an early H-SC lead to 15-14. Luke Frazier's first points of the night followed at the 8-minute mark, bringing John Carroll into the lead. An Omar Abuhamdeh triple led to an H-SC timeout with 7:26 left in the half. 

While the Tigers did tie the game shortly after, an Aidan Fitzgerald three got JCU back in front with 3:48 left in the half. This time, the Blue Streaks would not relinquish the advantage. JCU pushed the lead to seven points, but the Tigers chipped away a bit, and the Streaks' lead stood at three at halftime, 32-29. 

Coming out of the break, an Abuhamdeh 3-ball set the tone. The Blue Streaks upped the advantage to nine points at the 16-minute mark, aided by a Gentry layup and a Frazier stepback triple. The Tigers played strong defense, intent on keeping it close. A two-minute stretch passed without any offense. But Sean Collins got JCU back on track with a marvelous 3-pointer. 

A 10-2 run by H-SC narrowed the gap to 47-46 with 9:30 left to play, as the Tigers threatened to take control. Gentry hit a triple to stem the tide, though Travis Stickney responded with a traditional three-point play with 7:06 left. From this point, the John Carroll defense became nearly untouchable, as the hopes of an upset coalesced. 

The veteran-laden Blue Streaks showcased a killer instinct that the Tigers demonstrated last year. John Carroll roared on a 15-0 run in the next five and a half minutes of gametime. Highlights included a Gentry hook shot, a beautiful Kasey Hunt triple (off a crosscourt pass from Gentry), and a Will Yontek driver after a JCU timeout. 

The Tigers prolonged the game late, but the Blue Streaks were money at the charity stripe. JCU finished 17-of-23, while H-SC only made 11-of-19. 

David Gentry's statline stands out clearly when looking at the box score. 21 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists. The Hudson native had not poured in 20 points since his freshman campaign, and his marks for rebounds and assists are both career highs. Plus, this marked the first double-double during his time in the Blue & Gold. 

Luke Frazier "only" had 12 points, but his defense proved to be critical, as he notched 3 steals and 3 blocks. Opposing Frazier and the JCU defense was All-American Adam Brazil, a fifth year star guard for the Tigers. Brazil, a two-time D3hoops.com Team of the Week selection this season, only managed 11 points. 

Will Yontek draws your eyes to another important stat. The Saint Ignatius product not only scored 11 points, but tallied 9 rebounds. JCU outrebounded H-SC, 46-40, with a whopping 33 defensive rebounds, just one off JCU's season high. Omar Abuhamdeh also deserves kudos, hitting double figures in points for the fourth time in his career. 

Next Up
John Carroll will have a quick turnaround for the second game of the Charlie Cobb Classic. JCU faces Washington and Lee at 2 pm on Saturday. 
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