February 3, 2007
#20 Johns Hopkins Squeaks Past Haverford, 72-68, in Double Overtime;
Thomas Scores Game-High 23 in Loss
HAVERFORD, PA – 20th-ranked
Johns Hopkins rallied from a 13 point second half deficit en route
to a 72-68 double overtime victory over host Haverford in a classic
Centennial Conference men's basketball contest Saturday afternoon.
Haverford sophomore guard Chaz Thomas led all scorers with a career-high
23 points in the losing effort. The Fords fall to 9-11 overall
and 8-6 in Centennial play with the loss, while the Blue Jays
improve to 19-2 and 13-1.
Haverford held Hopkins without a field goal over the first 4:33
of the game, and jumped out to an 8-0 lead over that stretch.
The Fords extended their lead to as many as ten points at 17-7
with 9:06 remaining in the half, but the Blue Jays were able to
cut their deficit to 27-21 at the halftime break.
The Fords came out of the gates hot again in the second half,
starting the period on a 7-2 run over the first 5:08 to extend
their lead to 34-23. Down 40-27, Hopkins went on a 10-0 run over
a 2:45 stretch to pull within 40-37 with 9:13 left in the game.
Haverford stopped the bleeding and scored four unanswered points
to extend its lead back to seven points at 44-37 with 6:00 left.
The Fords small run was capped off by a turnaround jumper from
sophomore forward Ben McDowell in the paint over two Hopkins defenders
as the shot clock was ready to expire. Hopkins got itself back
within one point after Matt Griffin converted a three-point play
with 2:00 left in the game. Haverford sophomore forward Brent
Anderson converted on one of two free throws on the Fords next
trip down the floor to make the score 49-47 with 1:39 left. After
a Haverford timeout, Griffin hit a eight foot baseline jumper
to tie the game at 49 a piece with 1:30 to go. Haverford turned
the ball over on its next possession. Blue Jays guard Doug Polster
was fouled on a three-point attempt and sank all three free throws
to give Hopkins its first lead of the game, 52-49. The Fords couldn't
convert on their next trip down the floor, which led to Haverford
fouling Hopkins guard T.J. Valerio. Valerio missed the front end
of a one-and-one, with senior forward Ray Brown grabbing the rebound.
Thomas hit a three-pointer with 16 seconds left, tying the game
at 52. The Fords got the ball back with four seconds left after
a missed Hopkins shot, but couldn't get a good look, which sent
the game into overtime.
The overtime period remained scoreless until Griffin converted
on another three-point play with 2:53 left to make the score 55-52
in Hopkins favor. Thomas answered Griffin's three-point play with
another three-pointer on the Fords next trip down the floor to
tie the game at 55. After Hopkins made the game 57-55, Thomas
hit another three-pointer to gaive Haverford a 58-57 lead. Griffin
answered on Hopkins next possesion to give the Blue Jays a 59-58
edgs. On the Fords next possession, Thomas was fouled and hit
one of two free throws to knot the game at 59, which is what the
score remained as the first overtime ended.
Both teams kept pace with each other in the second overtime until
Hopkins went on a nine to five run, including four points from
Griffin, over the final 3:09 of the period for the 72-68 win.
Brown ended up with his second straight double-double and fourth
of the season with 14 points and 12 rebounds. Sophomore forward
Brent Anderson and senior guard Mike Fratangelo each added ten
points for the Fords.
Hopkins was led by Griffin's 20 points on eight-of-eight shooting.
Polster and Valerio added 13 and 12 points, respectively, in the
Blue Jays win.
Haverford out rebounded Johns Hopkins by a 39-33 margin, but the
Blue Jays shot 51.1% in the game to the Fords 40.4%. Hopkins made
eight of eleven free throws in the overtime periods, while Haverford
only converted on three of seven attempts from the charity stripe
in the bonus periods.
This afternoon's double overtime game was the first double overtime
contest between Centennial foes since Feb. 16, 2005, when Swarthmore
held off Washington, 87-86. The Fords are the only Centennial
team to have beaten the Blue Jays this season. Haverford walked
out of Goldfarb Gym on January 9 with a 64-59 win.
The Fords will travel to Washington on Wednesday for a 7:30 p.m.
Centennial Conference contest. Box Score
