HAMPDEN-SYDNEY, Va. – The rebounding and inside scoring efforts from John Carroll proved to be too much for the Washington and Lee men's basketball team, as the Generals fell by an 86-61 final on Saturday afternoon.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
The Generals (1-7) had the upper hand through the first four and a half minutes of regulation, as five different scorers combined for 5-of-8 shooting and a 12-8 lead. Luke Frazier then connected on a jumper for the Blue Streaks (6-4) to start a streak of eight straight points and a 13-2 overall run to regain a 21-14 lead at the midway point of the half.
W&L kept pace with a three from first-year
Joe Rhyne and two buckets from first-year
Connor Amorosi, but JCU went on another streak of nine straight points and closed out the first half on a 19-5 run to take a 42-26 lead into the locker room.
The John Carroll lead increased to 18 points through the first three minutes of the second half, before the Generals crept back to down 11 over the next three minutes, thanks to eight points from junior
A.J. Thomas. The Blue Streaks then used a 14-4 run to bump their advantage up to 21 points at the 8:43 mark, and they went on to outscore the Blue and White 16-12 for the remainder of the game to yield the final total.
TOP PERFORMERS:
Thomas tallied a W&L-high 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting from the field in what was his fourth straight game in double figures and second in that time with at least 19 points. Amorosi came in next with 15 points and five boards, while Rhyne nailed three triples to finish at nine points. Junior
John Loughlin led the team with six rebounds, and junior
Colin Ryan dished out a team-best four dimes.
Five JCU players reached double-digit points on the day, paced by Frazier with 18 points and six rebounds. Henry Raynor followed with 15 points, eight rebounds and two blocks, with Aidan Fitzgerald notching 14 points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals. Kasey Hunt and David Gentry rounded out the Blue Streaks' top scorers with 11 points each on 8-of-16 from the field, plus seven rebounds apiece.
TEAM STATS:
John Carroll's inside presence was their primary strength in the game, as they outrebounded W&L 53-32 overall and 20-11 on the offensive glass. The offensive rebounding in the game led to a 28-8 JCU advantage in second-chance points, plus a 44-24 positive margin in points in the paint.
The Blue Streaks made 43.7 percent (31-71) of their shots to 35.4 percent (23-65) for the Generals. W&L made two more threes than JCU (9-7), but the Blue Streaks outscored the Blue and White by 11 at the foul line (17-6).
UP NEXT:
The Generals will break for Christmas and return to action for their annual Holiday Tournament in Holekamp Gym. They will first take on Methodist on Sunday, December 29, at 2:00 p.m.
Nestled in the mountains of Virginia, Washington and Lee University is a proud member of NCAA Division III and the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. Founded in 1749, W&L is the ninth-oldest college in the United States and a top-ranked liberal arts university. With over 500 student-athletes in 24 varsity sports, the Generals have celebrated over 265 conference championships. Learn more about the Blue and White by visiting www.generalssports.com or on social media at @WLUGenerals.
