November 24, 2007
Hopkins Overcomes Shoremen, 69-52
Early Second-Half Run Proves Pivotal

BALTIMORE, MD – Host Johns Hopkins University came out strong in the second half to take control of the game en route to a 69-52 victory over visiting Washington College in the consolation semifinals of the Provident Bank Pride of Maryland Tournament. The Blue Jays improved to 2-2 with the win, while the Shoremen fell to 1-2 with the loss.

Both teams got off to slow starts, as a lay-up by Washington sophomore forward James Whall (Freehold, NJ/Freehold) 2:55 into the game was the only field goal of the first 7:19 of the contest. Hopkins held a 14-13 lead with 5:22 left in the half following a pair of free throws by Scott Weisenfeld, but a lay-up and then a three-pointer by sophomore guard Alan Kines (Towson, MD/Towson) swung the score to 18-14 in favor of the Shoremen with 2:58 on the clock. The Shoremen had a 19-17 lead before Hopkins' Phil Beggans hit a jumper from the baseline at the buzzer to knot the score at 19-19 at the break.

The two teams combined for 18 turnovers in the first half and shot a combined 12-40 (30%) from the field over the first 30 minutes.

Hopkins scored eight points in first 1:40 of the second half to take control of the game. John Alberici converted a lay-up and Pat O'Connell and Doug Polster drained back-to-back three-pointers to make it 27-19 with 18:20 left in the game. Those eight points began a 23-6 run to open the second half for the Blue Jays, giving Hopkins a 42-25 lead with 13:05 to play.

The Blue Jays had a 52-33 lead with 9:33 remaining before the Shoremen reeled off 12 straight points to cut the margin to 52-45 on a lay-up by junior guard Tim Kohlrus (Fairfax, VA/W.T. Woodson) with 6:34 remaining, but Hopkins scored the next seven points to go up, 59-45, on two free throws by Beggans with 5:10 to play. Hopkins led by at least 11 points the rest of the way.

Alberici led Hopkins with a game-high 17 points and five rebounds, while Beggans added 14 points and Polster finished with 10. Kohlrus paced Washington with 13 points, while Kines added 11 and junior guard Todd Green (Ridgewood, NJ/Ridgewood) finished with 10.

Hopkins shot 48% from the field in the game, including 58% in the second half. The Blue Jays also shot 6-for-12 from three-point range. Washington was 36% from the field in the game. Washington committed 23 turnovers in the contest to the Blue Jays' 16.

The Shoremen will play Goucher in tomorrow's 12:00 p.m. seventh-place game of the tournament at Johns Hopkins.

BOX SCORE