The Basics
• Score: #1 Swarthmore-67, #11 Johns Hopkins-62
• Records: JHU (8-0, 3-0 Centennial) • Swarthmore (8-0, 3-0 Centennial)
• Location: Swarthmore, PA • Tarble Pavilion
How it Happened
Trailing by three early, Hopkins put together a 15-4 run to grab an 18=10 lead with 11:35 to play in the half. Junior Conner Delaney sparked the run with seven straight points, including a step-back three at the top of the key. Following a Carson James layup, sophomore Ethan Barlett drained a pair of corner threes to cap the run.
Swarthmore answered with a 19-2 run that spanned a little over seven minutes as the Garnet turned an eight-point deficit into a nine-point lead. Conor Harkins hit a three from the corner to kick-start the run and Nate Shafer followed with six straight, to give the Garnet a 19-18 lead with 8:38 to play.
Sophomore Chid Nnake hit a layup on the other end to swing the lead back to Hopkins, but a Michael Caprise three-point play put Swarthmore back on top. A George Visconti jumper and five straight points from Colin Shaw put the Garnet up 29-20 at the 3:39-mark. Nnake sandwiched a pair of layups around a Shaw free throw and the deficit was six. Vinny Deangelo hit a three from the elbow to push it back to nine. The teams traded free throws and then a Delaney driving layup with 37 ticks on the clock made it a 34-27 game at the half.
The teams swapped scores over the opening five and a half minutes and the Garnet's lead was 44-34. Back-to-back layups by Delaney and Bartlett ignited a quick 8-3 run that saw the Blue Jays trim the deficit to just five midway through the half. Swarthmore responded with consecutive buckets in the paint and the lead was nine.
The teams traded scores over a five-minute span and Swarthmore led 60-49 with 2:59 on the clock. Delaney responded with seven straight points, sandwiched around a Zac O'Dell free throw to slice the deficit to five with 24 seconds to play. A pair of Garnet free throws were answered by three from Quarry to make it a four-point game. Swarthmore again hit two free throws to push its lead to 65-59 with less than 10 seconds remaining. Nnake converted an and-one to cut the deficit in half, but Visconti made both his free throws in the waning seconds to seal the win.
What it Means
• Hopkins falls to 79-41 all-time against Swarthmore, which has won the last three meetings.
• This was the Blue Jays' first-ever meeting against the number one team in the nation.
• Tonight's loss was Hopkins first loss of the season, snapping its eight-game win streak. It was the longest win streak to start the season under head coach Josh Loeffler.
Inside the Box Score
• Delaney scored a game-high 22 points to go with four assists and three steals. Bartlett added 11 points and Quarry chipped in 10. Nnake finished with a career-best 11 points and a career-high-tying six rebounds.
• Shafer led the Garnet with 15 points while O'Dell added nine and a game-high 11 boards. Shaw (13) and Visconti (12) also finished in double figures.
• This was the eighth straight game that Hopkins has held its opponent to 67 points or less.
Up Next
• Hopkins returns to action on Sunday, December 29 as the Blue Jays take on Drew at the Stevens Holiday Tournament. Tip-off is slated for 7:30 pm at Canavan Arena.