The Basics
• Score: Johns Hopkins-90, Ursinus-81
• Records: JHU (15-8, 12-4 CC) • UC (14-9, 11-5 CC)
• Location: Baltimore, MD • Goldfarb Gym
• The Short Story: Junior Harry O'Neil and freshman Braeden Johnson combined for 40 points to lead the Johns Hopkins men's basketball team to a 90-81 win over Ursinus Saturday in the 18th annual Wall-O'Mahony Game.
How it Happened
• After falling behind 9-5 early, Hopkins went on a 21-7 run to turn the four-point deficit into a 10-point lead in less than five minutes. A three-point play by senior Daniel Vila sparked the run, which was fueled by a quartet of three-pointers. O'Neil's layup at the 10:09 mark capped the run and staked the Blue Jays to a 26-16 lead.
• A three by Ryan Hughes and a Shane Stark jumper quickly sliced the Jays' lead in half. O'Neil and senior Noah Ralby then sandwiched buckets around a Matt Williams' free throw to kick start an 11-6 spurt that saw Hopkins go up 37-37 with 4:18 to play in the half.
• Stark cut the lead back to single digits with a bucket in the paint, but a Joey Fitzpatrick layup and Tomy Quarry fast-break dunk pushed the lead to 12 at the 2:47-mark. The teams traded scores to end the half, including a steal and layup at the buzzer by Ralby, and Hopkins led 48-35 at the break.
• The Bears needed just two minutes and 12 seconds to turn that 13-point deficit into a six-point game. The Blue Jays answered however with seven unanswered to go up 57-44 just 74 seconds later. The teams then swapped scores over the ensuing five minutes and it was a 12-point game with 10:53 to play.
• O'Neil then scored five straight points, in a 33-second span, and the lead ballooned to 17 at 72-55. Ursinus wasn't going away however, using an 8-0 spurt to pull back within nine at the 7:47-mark. Johnson ended the spurt with a bucket from downtown, his fifth of the game, followed by a Ralby layup and just like that JHU led 77-63.
• Ursinus had one more run left in it, outscoring Hopkins 12-0 in a span of just two and a half minutes, to pull within two with 2:42 to play. Eric William Jr. and Zack Muredda punctuated the run with back-to-back triples to make it a 79-77 game. It was all Hopkins in the final two minutes however as the Blue Jays outscored the Bears 11-4 to grab the 90-81 win.
What it Means
• Hopkins improves to 54-46 all-time against Ursinus and sweeps the season series. The Blue Jays take over sole possession of second place in the league and sit one game back of the Swarthmore Garnet. Hopkins also secured a first-round bye in the Centennial Conference Tournament and can finish no worse than third in the regular season standings.
Inside the Box Score
• O'Neil finished with a career-best 19 points, going 7-of-10 from the field, while also grabbing eight rebounds to earn Wall-O'Mahony Game MVP honors. He has now earned the honor for the second straight year and is just the third player in program history to earn the honor multiple times.
• Johnson scored a game and career-high 21 points, going 6-of-9 from the field, and tied his career high with the five three-pointers. Ralby posted his first career double-double with 12 points and 11 assists. His 11 assists are tied for the second most in school history. Senior Michael Gardner finished with 11 points and a five helpers, to go along with a pair of steals.
• Ryan McTamney earned Wall-O'Mahony MVP honors for Ursinus with a team-best 21 points. Williams Jr. added 16 points, while Muredda chipped in 11. Stark finished with 12 points, six assists and eight rebounds.
Up Next
• Hopkins hits the road on Wednesday, February 13 as the Blue Jays travel to Lancaster, PA to take on the Franklin & Marshall Diplomats. Tip-off at the Mayser Center is slated for 8:00 pm.