The Basics
• Score: #15 Johns Hopkins-85, DeSales-78
• Records: JHU (2-1) • DU (1-2)
• Location: Salisbury, MD • Maggs Physical Activities Center
• The Short Story: Senior guard Michael Gardner tied his career-high with 30 points to lead the 15^th-ranked Johns Hopkins men's basketball team to an 85-78 win over DeSales Friday night. 
 
How it Happened
• Matt Kachelries got a bucket in the paint with 2:21 to play to spark a 10-1 DeSales' run that saw Hopkins' lead cut to just five with 59 seconds remaining. Gardner ended the run and gave the Blue Jays back some cushion when he drained a three from the top of the key as the shot clock expired. That bucket put Hopkins up 85-77 with just 26 seconds to go.
• Julian Wing hit one of two free throws seven seconds later, making it a seven-point game. Both teams came up empty on their final possessions and the Blue Jays took the seven-point win.
• DeSales took a quick 5-0 lead before back-to-back buckets by senior Daniel Vila and sophomore Conner Delaney tied the game at the 17:50-mark. The teams traded baskets over the ensuing three minutes and the Bulldogs led 13-10. Ben Pratt pushed their lead to five with a layup with 12:23 left in the half.
• The teams continued to go back-and-forth until a pair of Harry O'Neil free throws kick-started a 7-0 run that swung the lead in the Blue Jays' favor, 27-21. Another Pratt layup made it a four-point game, but Hopkins came right back with four quick points to stake JHU to a 31-23 lead with 5:13 to go in the half.
• DeSales battled back and trimmed the deficit to two less than two minutes later. Gardner stopped the run with a bucket from downtown, followed by a drive and score from senior Noah Ralby to push the lead back to seven. The lead see-sawed up down over the remainder of the half and Hopkins took a 41-34 lead into the break.
• Hopkins came out firing to start the second half and quickly pushed its lead to 16. The Blue Jays maintained that double-digit lead until late in the game when the Bulldogs made a late push.
 
What it Means
• Tonight's game was the first-ever meeting between the Blue Jays and the Bulldogs.
 
Inside the Box Score
• Gardner led the Blue Jays with his career-high-tying 30 points, going 10-of-19 from the field and 7-of-12 from downtown. His seven three-pointers are one shy of the career high.
• Vila just missed a double-double with 13 points and nine rebounds. He also had three blocks and handed out two assists. Delaney chipped in 10 points and three assists. Fitzgerald finished with a career-best nine points and nine rebounds.
• Pratt led DeSales with 18 points while Luke Connaghan added 17 points and 12 boards. Tracy Simsick added 11 points.
 
Up Next
• Hopkins will face the winner of Lancaster Bible and host Salisbury in the championship game of the Optimist International Tournament. The game is slated for a 4:00 pm start on Saturday, November 17.