BALTIMORE, MD – Johns Hopkins couldn't quite put visiting Ursinus away and the Bears finally made the Blue Jays pay as Ryan Adams hit a layup with six seconds to play in the second overtime to lift the Bears to a 65-64 win in Centennial Conference action. The Blue Jays slip to 7-6 on the season and an even 3-3 in conference play, while the Bears improve to 6-7 and 4-2 in the league.
Jesse Krasna gave the Bears life as he drained a pull-up three from about 24 feet out to tie the game at 64 apiece with eight seconds left in regulation. Senior Adam Spengler had a chance to give the Blue Jays a win with the time winding down, but his shot hit the rim and the teams headed to overtime. All eight points in the first overtime were scored by JHU's Mike Rhoads and Ursinus' Malik Draper. Leading 61-59 after a pair of free throws from Rhoads, Draper hit one of two from the line to cut the deficit in half.
Hopkins couldn't convert on an extended possession on the other end and Ursinus took over with 42 seconds to play. Draper once again drew a foul and once again hit just one of two to tie the game at the 29-second mark. A Jimmy Hammer three missed the mark with just over seven seconds to play and Krasna corralled the rebound. Hammer stepped in front of a Draper pass and heaved a shot from half court at the buzzer that looked good, but hit the rim, and the teams headed to a second overtime.
Kevin Janowski put the Bears on top with a jumper 54 seconds into the second overtime, Ursinus' first lead since the 14:10 mark of the second half. Hammer answered with a jumper of his own, tying the game at 63 apiece. The teams traded empty possessions over the ensuing two minutes until Rhoads was able to draw a foul. He missed the first one, but hit the second to put Hopkins on top. After a turnover by each team on the next two possessions, Adams was able to hit the go-ahead bucket with eight seconds on the clock. Rhoads had a chance to win it at the buzzer but his layup hit the rim and then bounced out as the horn sounded.
Hopkins got off to a great start, pushing out to an 11-point lead with a 9-2 run early in the first half. Junior Connor McIntyre capped the run with a fast-break layup off a George Bugarinovic steal with 13:26 to play in the half. The Bears trimmed the deficit back to six but the Blue Jays responded with a triple from junior Daniel Corbett and a bucket in the paint from Bugarinovic. Ursinus once again clawed back into it, using a 14-3 run to make it just a one-point game with 3:12 on the clock. Jon Ward and Draper fueled the run with a combined nine points. Draper put the punctuation on the run with a jumper at the 1:50 mark. McIntyre would have the final say with a jumper to put Hopkins on top, 29-27, at the break.
McIntyre picked up where he left off to start the second with back-to-back buckets before a Hammer three-pointer with 17:10 to go but the Jays on top by seven. The Bears weren't going away and eventually took a 38-36 lead on a Janowski bucket in the paint just three minutes later. Hopkins responded with a 12-2 spurt to push out to a 48-40 lead on a Bugarinovic free throw. The Blue Jays could not pull away however and the Bears trimmed the deficit down to two with an Adams jumper at the 2:01 mark.
Bugarinovic pushed the lead back to four but free throws from Draper and Krasna on back-to-back possessions made it a one-point game with 25 seconds to play. The Bears then fouled and Spengler hit both his shots, but Krasna was able to get a quick bucket for Ursinus to once again make it a one-point game. The Bears fouled again and this time it was Corbett who sank both of his shots from the line, but there was still 14 seconds to play. And as it turned out, all Adams and the Bears needed was six seconds as he tied the game with the bucket from long range.
Four Blue Jays finished in double figures, led by Bugarinovic and Hammer, who each punched up 13 points. Rhoads finished with 12 points, while McIntyre added 10. McIntyre just missed on a double-double as he also grabbed a game-high nine rebounds while also blocking four shots and swiping two steals. Bugarinovic and Rhoads each pulled down eight boards as well. Draper led all scorers with 17 points, while Adams put in 15 and Krasna added 13. Draper also just missed on a double-double as he pulled down nine boards.
Hopkins returns to the court on Tuesday, January 8 at Swarthmore for a Centennial Conference tilt. Game time at Tarble Pavilion is set for 6:00 pm.