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John Carroll University Athletics

home of the Blue Streaks
Chase Toppin vs JCU
Heidelberg Sports Info
76
Winner John Carroll JCU 19-5,14-3 OAC
71
Heidelberg HEID 15-9,11-6 OAC
Winner
John Carroll JCU
19-5,14-3 OAC
76
Final
71
Heidelberg HEID
15-9,11-6 OAC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
John Carroll JCU 32 44 76
Heidelberg HEID 35 36 71

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Aiden Ramsden, Staff Writer

John Carroll Marches Closer to OAC Title with Win at Heidelberg

TIFFIN -- John Carroll Men's Basketball made the two-hour trip over to Tiffin on Wednesday night for a key matchup with the Heidelberg Student Princes.

The Blue Streaks came in with the mindset of being just 80 minutes away from another Ohio Athletic Conference Regular Season title.

A hard-fought battle, resulting in a 76-71 Blue Streak victory, cuts that number to just 40 minutes.

A pair of early Henry Raynor layups quickly handed the Blue Streaks a 4-2 lead but Heidelberg responded with a three to get the lead, one which they held for a while. The Student Princes began to pull away until a pair of Will Yontek layups cut the deficit to just one. A quick 9-2 run ballooned Heidelberg's lead to eight. Threes by Chase Toppin and Aidan Fitzgerald helped close the gap but Heidelberg kept their foot on the gas, continuing to grow their lead anytime John Carroll got close.

Back-to-back possessions ending in Sean Collins layups cut the Blue Streaks' deficit to one, though a pair of Heidelberg free throws to close out the half sent the Streaks into the locker room down 35-32.

The halftime message was simply a reminder of how close this John Carroll team was to capturing a third straight OAC regular season title. 

Aidan Fitzgerald opened the half with a three to tie the game for the first time since 2-2. Two minutes later, a pair of free throws by Luke Frazier gave John Carroll their first lead since 4-2. Heidelberg managed to take their lead back and the two teams began trading scores keeping the game within one possession. Another pair of Yontek layups gave the Blue Streaks a 3-point lead, their largest of the game so far, with 12 minutes left.

No team scored for the following two and a half minutes until Heidelberg and John Carroll continued staying aggressive against each other on the court. After a pair of technical fouls, Luke Frazier would shoot all four free throws, and made three, getting the Blue Streaks up by four. Will Yontek added a layup the following possession to push it to six.

Heidelberg quickly answered with a three and a trio of free throws to tie the game back up with 6 minutes to play. After a defensive stop, the Student Princes converted on the fast break to earn the lead back. Will Yontek made one of two free throws and a Luke Frazier three the next possession gave John Carroll the lead back. Yontek got himself another two trips to the line, converting on three of the four attempts, pushing the lead to five with two minutes left to play. 

The Student Princes soon began playing the foul game to stop the clock. A pair of Toppin free throws pushed the lead to six, but a fade away three with 10 seconds left kept Heidelberg in it. Luke Frazier would be fouled and after making both free throws, John Carroll officially clinched a first-round bye and home court advantage for the semifinals in the OAC Tournament next week. 

The game featured 3 Blue Streak double-doubles. Will Yontek led the way with a game-high 24 points and 14 rebounds.

"Good things never come easy and that's no different when talking about a road win in the OAC. I'm really proud of how we played," said Yontek. "I think the bench deserves a lot of credit. They bring energy and run a great scout everyday at practice. Onto Saturday to lock up the league."

Luke Frazier added an additional 17 points and 14 rebounds.

"I think we keep making good strides getting these wins on the road. Yonny had a monster game for us and everyone fed off each other really well down the clutch," said Frazier.

Henry Raynor rounded it out with a 12-point, 13-rebound double-double. 

"I think tonight's game showed this group's resilience. From the end of the bench to the starting 5, everybody played their part," stated Raynor. "Will was huge for us down the stretch, knocking down free throws and scoring clutch buckets. His performance is a testament to the hours he spends in the gym weekly. I'm proud to call him my teammate."

Up Next
The Blue Streaks close out the regular season this Saturday at home against Muskingum. With a win, the Blue Streaks would clinch the #1 seed and homecourt advantage throughout in the OAC Tournament.

On Saturday, John Carroll will be celebrating the seniors prior to tip-off, which is set for 1 pm as a part of Senior Day. 
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