UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS – Coming off a hard fought win against Heidelberg University on Monday, John Carroll's Women's Basketball was faced with the tall task of the #11/12 team in NCAA Division III, Baldwin Wallace.
Earlier in the season, the Yellow Jackets got the best of the Blue Streaks, winning by a score of 81-60. This time would not be so easy for the Yellow Jackets, and John Carroll would pull off a hard fought upset win at the Tony DeCarlo Varsity Center, 89-86.
A strong start in front of a loud home crowd proved to be critical against the rival Yellow Jackets.
The Blue Streaks started off strong on offense, as Kaelyn Underwood scored the first basket for the Blue Streaks off a strong drive. The Yellow Jackets did not falter, starting 2-for-2 from the 3-point line, giving themselves a 10-8 lead with seven minutes left in the quarter. After a Jaylen Hoffmann three, Underwood scored a pair of buckets on back-to-back possessions to give the Blue Streaks a 15-12 lead.
At the end of the first quarter, the Blue Streaks held a 23-19 advantage, with 14 of the points coming courtesy of Kaelyn Underwood.
The second quarter was just as intense as the first, with Hoffmann opening up with a steal and a quick two points. John Carroll kept up their stout defense, causing turnovers resulting in smart baskets. With seven minutes left before half, Hoffmann came alive, hitting a beautiful 3-point shot from the corner and following it up with a mid range jump shot on the ensuing possession, giving the Blue Streaks a 30-22 lead.
The Blue Streaks would get some great work off the bench, as Halle Landies provided a spark with a pair of threes, electrifying the crowd in the DeCarlo Center. Oliva Giunta wanted to join in the fun, hitting a deep jump shot from the left side and giving John Carroll a 40-29 lead.
John Carroll would close out the quarter on a 10-3 run and roared into halftime with a 50-32 lead. Underwood led the way in scoring with 14 points. Hoffman added 12 points and 4 steals along the way. Turnovers would be the difference maker for the Blue Streaks, who caused 12 in the first half, leading to nine points.
Landies set the tone out of the locker room, hitting a three and a quick layup in the following possession. The entirety of the third quarter would be a back and forth battle, with both teams trading baskets and playing aggressively. With five minutes left in the quarter, Baldwin Wallace pulled within nine off a Carolyn Wochele 3-pointer.
Kaylie McKenney scored off a put-back lay up at the buzzer and built the Blue Streak lead to 74-61 going into the final quarter.
The Yellow Jackets started to get hot, scoring on which seemed like every possession. With five minutes remaining, Bella Vaillant sank a 3-pointer off the right wing and made the score 78-74 in favor of the Blue Streaks.
The teams again traded buckets before Hoffman drilled a spectacular jump shot from the short left corner, building the Blue Streak lead to nine with less than three minutes to go.
With 18 seconds left, a Emily Irwin 3-pointer slimmed the JCU lead to three points. A last second 3-point attempt from the Yellow Jackets proved unsuccessful, and John Carroll held on to win, 89-86, in an instant classic.
Halle Landies would lead the Blue Streaks in points with 20. Ava Ryncarz topped lead the team in rebounds, grabbing six.
"We knew this game was winnable," said Head Coach Beth Andrews '15. "Tonight, we proved to ourselves we have what it takes to win games like this."
A huge win for the Blue Streaks will propel them into the weekend, where they take on Wilmington College on Saturday, February 18 at 7 pm.
The Blue Streaks now advance to 13-11 overall, 8-9 in OAC play. Tonight's win is massive for postseason implications. John Carroll stands alone in fifth place with one game to go before the 6-team OAC Tournament.
With a win over Wilmington or a Capital loss on Saturday, the Blue Streaks punch their ticket to the tournament.