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John Carroll University Athletics

home of the Blue Streaks
Henry Raynor vs. Wilmington on 1-4-25
Jose Figueroa
56
Wilmington (OH) WILM 2-9,0-4 OAC
74
Winner John Carroll JCU 7-4,2-2 OAC
Wilmington (OH) WILM
2-9,0-4 OAC
56
Final
74
John Carroll JCU
7-4,2-2 OAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Wilmington (OH) WILM 27 29 56
John Carroll JCU 29 45 74

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

In First Game of 2025, Men's Basketball Bulls Way to Win over Wilmington

The Blue Streaks played quite well in the post to earn the victory

UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS – Whatever the time of year, Ohio Athletic Conference play is rarely easy. That's particularly true when your last game was two weeks prior.

While the start was slow, John Carroll Men's Basketball showcased gritty defense – quickly becoming a calling card – in the first game of 2025.

The Blue Streaks marched past Wilmington College at the Tony DeCarlo Varsity Center on Saturday, 74-56. A major factor proved to be dominance in the paint by JCU during the stretch run.

With the victory, John Carroll advances to 7-4 on the campaign, winners of four straight. Importantly, JCU evens out to 2-2 in conference play after beginning in a two-loss hole.

"We started off cold since we hadn't played in two weeks, as it's hard to get that same kind of energy in practice," said David Gentry, who led the scoring for JCU. "But we pieced things together in the second half. We focused on being smart with the ball, making smart plays, and playing harder on defense, which turned into offense."

It was a sluggish start at first for the Blue Streaks, leading to an early timeout. Luke Frazier got the hosts on the board with a 3-pointer at the three-minute mark. The Blue Streaks got within one, 12-11, leading to a Wilmington full timeout at 11:43. Out of the break, the Quakers rolled to six straight points. In response, JCU's defense became stingy, defined by a Frazier chasedown block at 6:33.

The John Carroll offense continued to look sluggish in the face of Wilmington's physical play until gritty defense started to unlock opportunities. Henry Raynor leaped to intercept a pass, tabbed it to Chase Toppin, who passed it off to Kasey Hunt for an authoritative dunk. That play sparked a 12-3 JCU run over the next four minutes, getting the lead back for the Streaks. A Gentry block with 30 seconds remaining in the half defined the defense, enlivening the Tony DeCarlo Varsity Center faithful. The hosts possessed a slim 29-27 advantage at half. 

Aidan Fitzgerald continued the momentum to kickstart the second half with a 3-pointer, though Wilmington responded with one of its own. Will Yontek pushed JCU in front with a traditional three-point play, and there JCU stayed through the first media timeout at 13:43. Wilmington briefly evened things out, but Brandon Rose hit a floater to spark a 6-0 run. With JCU ahead, 48-42, the Quakers called a full timeout at 11:38.  

Try as the Quakers might, the visitors could not regain control. A Gentry wing three and Raynor's strong work down low ensured as much, stretching JCU's lead to double digits at the six-minute mark. Wilmington mustered a response, but not enough to overcome a reinvigorated John Carroll offense. 

David Gentry notched a team-best 17 points. Henry Raynor enjoyed a strong all-around effort, pouring in 13 points while adding 8 rebounds and 5 blocks. 

The rebounding battle weighed heavily in JCU's favor, 41-24. JCU outscored Wilmington in the paint, 50-22. 

"I should have played football, I love banging down low and being a center," Gentry joked. "[Wilmington] had some height, but we had the grittiness. Working with Henry and [Will] helps a lot, being able to dominate down low made for a good second half. I'm happy to fill any hole we're missing. If we need a big to shoot a three, or a bucket down low, or a stop, I want to be that glue guy who can piece things together. 

"I'm excited to keep the train rolling," Gentry continued. "The goal is to win it all, win the conference, and go into March Madness. We're starting to turn that corner and play some really good basketball." 

Next Up
John Carroll now begins a road-heavy stretch, playing five of the next six away from home. The Blue Streaks head to Otterbein University on Wednesday at 7 pm.
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