The Basics
• Score: No. 15 Johns Hopkins-76, Franklin & Marshall-59
• Records: JHU (12-2, 6-1 CC) • F&M (6-8, 2-5 CC)
• Location: Baltimore, MD • Goldfarb Gymnasium
How it Happened
The 15th-ranked Johns Hopkins men's basketball team got a combined 37 points from junior Conner Delaney and sophomore Braeden Johnson en route to a 76-59 win over Franklin & Marshall Wednesday night. The win was the 100th in the career of head coach Josh Loeffler.
The Blue Jays needed just over four minutes to build a 10-point lead as they sprinted out to a 15-5 lead just 4:23 into the game. Delaney scored JHU's first seven points of the game as he bookended a three-pointer with a pair of layups in the first 2:37 and back-to-back three-pointers from sophomore Ethan Bartlett capped the early surge for the Blue Jays.
The Diplomats were still within 10 at 20-10 with 12:27 remaining in the first half after a Justin Kupa runner in the lane, but the Blue Jays responded with a 17-6 spurt that was jump-started by a Tom Quarry triple and polished off with a three from Johnson; five different players scored during the run for Johns Hopkins with Quarry netting five of his seven first-half points to fuel the spree. A 7-1 half-ending run for the Diplomats that included a three-pointer and another long jumper by Solomon Mathis accounted for a 38-23 score at the half.
F&M picked up where it left off, using a 16-6 run to trim the deficit five with 13:00 minutes to play. Mathis capped the run with a three-pointer to make it a 44-39 game. Hopkins answered with a corner triple from Johnson to spark a 9-2 spurt that saw the Blue Jays push their lead back to 12 on a Harry O'Neil fast-break layup. The teams traded three-pointers and Hopkins led 56-44 with 8:35 to play.
The Dips then used a 10-2 run, capped by a Les Thomas three-pointer, to pull within four with 5:58 remaining. The Blue Jays responded with 10 unanswered points, fueled by back-to-back threes from junior Joey Kern and Johnson, and just like that the lead was 14 at the 3:35-mark. A Brian Hines layup and a Matt Redhead free throw sandwiched around a Delaney jumper made it a 70-57 game less than 60 seconds later. Johnson followed with back-to-back triples and the lead ballooned to 19 with just 1:22 to play. Kupa would close out the scoring with a driving layup as the clocked ticked under a minute.
What it Means
• Hopkins improves to 43-64 all-time against Franklin & Marshall and has won five straight in the series. The Blue Jays have now won eight of the last night against the Dips.
• Head coach Josh Loeffler earns his 100th career win in just his 129th game. He is 54-16 (.771) in his third season at JHU and ranks fourth in school history in wins.
Inside the Box Score
• Delaney led all scorers with 20 points, his seventh 20-point performance of the season. He also had four assists and two blocks. Johnson went 5-of-9 from downtown to finish with a season-best 17 points. O'Neil added nine points and six rebounds while Bartlett finished with six boards, six points and a pair of assists.
• Kupa had a team-high 17 points and five rebounds for the Dips, while Thomas added 10 points.
Up Next
• Hopkins is back at Goldfarb Gym on Saturday, January 18 to host Ursinus. The Centennial Conference contest is slated for a 3:00 pm tip.