The Basics
• Score: Johns Hopkins-84, Neumann-59
• Records: JHU (3-0) • NU (2-2)
• Location: Aston, PA • The Mirenda Center
• The Short Story: The Johns Hopkins men's basketball team ran away in the second half, outscoring host 48-28, en route to an 84-59 win Wednesday night in non-conference action.
How it Happened
• The teams traded buckets in the first three minutes of the second half and Hopkins led 41-36. A Conner Delaney jumper ignited a quick 8-3 spurt that saw the Blue Jays take a 10-point lead. The Knights cut it back to seven with three free throws from Vaughn Haneef with 12:41 to play.
• Delaney responded with an old-fashioned three-point play to spark a 16-4 run as Hopkins grabbed a 65-46 lead by the 9:29-mark. Delaney fueled the run with 12 of the Blue Jays' 14 points. Neumann used a quick 6-2 burst to trim the deficit to 15 with 7:34 remaining.
• That's as close as the Knights would get however as the Blue Jays outscored the hosts 17-7 over the final seven minutes. Hopkins' lead ballooned to as much as 27 down the stretch as eight different players scored for the Jays.
• The first half was a different story as there were five lead changes and three ties. Trailing 6-3 just 90 seconds in, Delaney scored in the paint to kick-start a 9-0 run as Hopkins went up 12-6. Haneef ended the run with a bucket in the paint to spark a 6-2 spurt that pulled the Knights back within two at the 12:55-mark. Sophomore Ethan Bartlett and senior Harry O'Neil answered with five straight points to push the Blue Jays' lead to seven just 70 seconds later.
• Neumann used a 7-0 run to knot the score at 19 with 9:36 to play, but Hopkins answered with a 7-0 run of its own, fueled by back-to-back dunks by sophomore Tom Quarry. The lead was short-lived however as a 12-3 spurt by the Knights gave the home team a 31-29 lead with just 1:49 left in the half. Sophomore Braeden Johnson tied the game with a jumper and Bartlett then put the Blue Jays back on top with a bucket from downtown. He pushed Hopkins' lead to 36-31 at the half with a layup.
What it Means
• Tonight's game was the first-ever meeting between the Blue Jays and the Knights.
• For the second time in the last three years, Hopkins is 3-0 to start the season.
Inside the Box Score
• For the first time since December 1, 2018, five Blue Jays scored figures, led by Delaney's game-high 20 points. He scored 16 of his points in the second half, while also handing out five assists and grabbing three steals.
• Bartlett poured in a career-high 17 points to go with a game and career-high five steals – the most by a Blue Jay this season. Johnson scored 14 points while Quarry and O'Neil added 10 points each. Quarry led the team with a career-high-tying seven rebounds.
• Vaughn led the Knights with 19 points while Waheem Lowman chipped in 11 points. Sanoussi Abdourhaman grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds and blocked three shots.
Up Next
• Hopkins returns to Goldfarb Gym on Saturday, November 23 to take on York College. The non-conference contest is slated for a 4:00 pm start.