The Basics
• Score: UW-Platteville-75, Johns Hopkins-70 (OT)
• Records: JHU (8-3) • UWP (7-4)
• Location: Las Vegas, NV • South Point Arena
• The Short Story: UW-Platteville outscored the Johns Hopkins men's basketball team, 8-3, in overtime to grab a 75-70 win in the D3hoops.com Classic Friday night.
How it Happened
• Sophomore Joey Kern scored on a layup just 15 seconds into the overtime to put Hopkins on top, 69-67. But Justin Stovall answered on the other end to tie the game for the seventh time. Quentin Shields followed with one-of-two free throws to grab the lead for Platteville and the Pioneers would not trail again. UWP would close out the game with a 5-1 run to take the win.
• Trailing 7-6 early, senior Noah Ralby hit a pair of free throws to give Hopkins the lead at 13:05. Senior Joey Fitzpatrick hit a layup and freshman Braeden Johnson and Kern combined for three straight triples to stake the Blue Jays to a 19-10 lead just two and a half minutes later.
• With the lead still at nine at the 9:40-mark, Robert Duax sank a three-pointer to spark an 8-0 Pioneer run, capped by a Kyle Tuma three that made it a 21-20 game. Ralby ended the run with a layup and then converted one of two from the line to push the lead back to four with 6:51 to go in the half. Platteville once again cut the lead to one, but Hopkins closed the half on a 11-3 run to take a 35-26 lead into the locker room.
• The Pioneers came out strong to start the second, using a 12-2 run to turn that nine-point deficit into a one-point lead by the 16:39-mark. Senior Daniel Vila ended the run with a layup, followed by a Johnson three-pointer and Hopkins went up 42-38. The teams traded buckets and the lead changed hands 11 times over the final 15 minutes.
• Down two with under 30 seconds to play, Ralby converted a conventional three-point play to put the Blue Jays up 65-64. Stovall answered with a three-point play of his own and the Pioneers led by two with 13.8 ticks on the clock. On the ensuing possession, Vila was fouled on a three-point shot with just 0.1 second showing on the clock. He converted two of his three shots and the teams headed to overtime.
What it Means
• Tonight's game was the first-ever meeting between the Blue Jays and the Pioneers. The loss snaps Hopkins' six-game win streak and is its first loss since a 78-69 setback at Salisbury on November 17.
Inside the Box Score
• Johnson led the Blue Jays with a season-high 17 points, with 15 of those coming from downtown. Ralby and senior Michael Gardner finished with 14 points each, while Kern added 11. Ralby also handed out six assists and had two steals.
• Shields led the Pioneers with a game-high 21 points and also had six assists. Duax and Carter Voelker added 15 points apiece and Stovall chipped in 1.
Up Next
• Hopkins returns to the court on Saturday, December 29 to take on ninth-ranked Whitworth in the D3hoops.com Classic. Tip-off from South Point Arena is slated for 4:00 pm PT.