A special milestone was reached on Wednesday night. Only four coaches in the history of the Ohio Athletic Conference reached the milestone prior to tonight.
Behind lights out shooting, the John Carroll University men's basketball team rolled to a 97-78 win inside the Tony DeCarlo Varsity Center.
More importantly, head coach Mike Moran recorded his 400th win as the mentor of the John Carroll men's program.
Moran, now in his 23rd year at John Carroll entered the year 35th amongst active Division III coaches in total wins. All-time in the OAC, Moran joins Dick Reynolds (Otterbein, 653), Jim Burson (Muskingum, 542), Steve Bankson (Baldwin Wallace, 420) and E. M. "Mose" Hole (Wooster, 412).
John Carroll improves to 4-1, 3-0 OAC. The win marked the first time since the 2006-07 campaign that the Blue Streaks started their conference slate 3-0.
Both teams started the game lights out from the field in the first half. John Carroll shot 60.6 percent while Ohio Northern connected at a 55.9 percent clip. The two teams combined for 14 lead changes and five ties over the first 20 minutes.
John Carroll was able to get some separation late in the stanza with a 10-0 run to open up a 49-39 lead with 2:29 remaining in the first half. Jake Hollinger started the run with four straight points, a total that would be matched later in the run from sophomore Doug Caputo.
Ohio Northern answered right back with a 9-0 run to end the half, cutting John Carroll's lead to one entering the break.
The Blue Streaks opened the second half with a 14-0 run to take a commanding 63-48 lead with 16:31 remaining in the stanza. David Linane led the Blue and Gold on the run with five points.
JCU never looked back with 3-pointers from Danny Wallack and David Hendrickson opening up a 22-point lead with 12:28 remaining.
Ohio Northern only made one field goal over the first 10 minutes of the second half.
Hollinger led the Blue Streaks with 20 points. Caputo added his first career double-double with a career-high tying 12 rebounds and 10 points.
In all, JCU had five players in double figures, including all five starters. Will Starks finished with 14 points, one shy of matching his career-high.
The Blue and Gold would end the night shooting 55.9 percent, the third time this season JCU has been above 50 percent.
John Carroll remains at home with a 2 p.m. contest against Wilmington on Saturday, Dec. 13.