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John Carroll University Athletics

home of the Blue Streaks
Sartain vs. Berg
Aislyn McQueen
John Carroll went into the locker room tied with the Pios, but the hosts pulled away late. 
74
John Carroll JCU 7-11,2-9 OAC
88
Winner Marietta MAR 18-2,13-0 OAC
John Carroll JCU
7-11,2-9 OAC
74
Final
88
Marietta MAR
18-2,13-0 OAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
John Carroll JCU 38 36 74
Marietta MAR 38 50 88

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Deuce Zak, Staff Writer

Men's Basketball Hangs Tough, but Can't Manufacture Marietta Magic at the Banjo

MARIETTA, Ohio -- Before today, John Carroll Men's Basketball hadn't journeyed to Ban Johnson Arena in 709 days.

The last time was magical, as JCU elimited Marietta in the semifinals of the 2020 Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament. Today looked like it be similarly special, as the Blue Streaks held several first-half leads and went into halftime tied at 38. 

Marietta has lost just 22 times at home over the last 11 seasons. Five of those defeats have been to the Blue Streaks. Unfortunately, today would not be the sixth. 

On what was Senior Day for the No. 3-ranked Pioneers, all 937 fans in attendance knew what to expect from this OAC rivalry: a long, physical battle between two proud programs. From the opening tip, the game was just that. 

Both teams traded blow after blow throughout the contest, with neither team backing down, but a late spurt in the fourth quarter from Marietta's stars saw the Blue Streaks falling 88-74 on the road. 

From the tip, the Blue & Gold were the aggressors. Tough defense and well executed offense propelled the Blue Streaks to a quick 11-4 lead, delivering a decisive opening blow to the Pioneers. Marietta bounced back in kind, as Jason Ellis hit 2 consecutive threes to make the game 11-10. Once again, the Blue Streaks recovered and hit the Pioneers with an 11-2 run, taking their largest lead of the contest at 22-12. 

Jackson Sartain and Eric Hanna led the early offensive charge for the Blue Streaks, hitting shots and delivering tough defense on the trio of star guards for the Pioneers. Foul trouble came early for the Blue Streaks, as big man Mason Trubisky netted 3 fouls in the first 10 minutes of the half. Trubisky and Gentry made life for Marietta big man Tim Kreeger difficult, and their efforts made Kreeger largely ineffective throughout the first half. 

After an eventful opening stanza of the first half, Both teams continued to play punch for punch, one team hitting a tough shot, and the other coming down and returning the favor. When the clock hit double zero at the end of the first, the Blue Streaks and Pioneers went to their locker rooms knotted up at 38 apiece. 

Much to the delight of all fans in attendance, the second half played a similar tune from the first, but the chorus changed down the stretch. 

Both teams picked up right where they left off at the start of the second half, both offenses nailing shot after shot, going blow for blow. A David Gentry layup, a Lukas Isaly 3-pointer. A Jackson Sartain triple, a Jason Ellis layup. Neither team was able to create any distance, and the Blue and Gold entered the final 10 minutes of play down by one, 59-58. 

The Pioneers found their opening in the final minutes, and Jason Ellis and Lukas Isaly delivered the knockout blow. Marietta ended the contest with 16 made three-point field goals, with nearly half of them coming in the final minutes. Isaly and Ellis could not be stopped, and a valiant Blue Streak upset bid was cut short, ending the game down 88-74, falling to the No. 3 ranked team in the country. 

For the Blue & Gold, it took a team effort. Jackson Sartain and Eric Hanna lead the way, scoring 17 and 16. A host of Blue Streaks added valuable contributions and fought as hard as they could. 

The stars shone bright for the Pioneers. Isaly and Ellis combined for 56, and made 13 of Marietta's 16 three-point field goals. 

For John Carroll, the Blue Streaks travel next to Otterbein to take on the Cardinals in their final road contest of the season. 
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