Release courtesy of Johns Hopkins Athletic Communications
The Basics
• Score: #23 Stockton-70, 10 Johns Hopkins-63
• Records: JHU (23-4) • SU (26-4)
• Location: Galloway, NJ • Sports Center
• The Short Story: The 23rd-ranked Stockton men's basketball team built a 16-point first-half lead, then saw 10th-ranked Johns Hopkins take a two-point lead late in the game before the Ospreys hit 6-of-8 free throws down the stretch to top the Blue Jays, 70-63, in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
How it Happened
• The Blue Jays found themselves down big early as Stockton used a 26-7 run to turn an early three-point deficit into a 26-10 lead. Inside the 26-7 spree was a 13-0 spurt that opened up a 9-7 lead into a 22-7 advantage less than nine minutes into the game. A DJ Campbell three-pointer jump-started the long scoring run for the Ospreys. Williams scored 15 points in the first half for Stockton.
• The Blue Jays chipped away and late in the first half to make it a 10-point game at halftime. A jumper in the lane from Campbell made it 32-16 with 6:15 remaining, but the Blue Jays closed the first half by scoring 11 of the final 16 points to make it a 37-27 game at the half. An Ethan Bartlett triple, a layup inside from Tom Quarry and a Carson James bucket fueled the rally for the Blue Jays.
• Johns Hopkins quickly had the deficit down to five early in second half as baskets from Conner Delaney and Quarry and a three-pointer from James helped make it 42-37 with just over 17 minutes remaining.
• The lead held between five and nine points for more than eight minutes before the Blue Jays quickly turned a 56-51 deficit into a 58-56 lead. A Sidney Thybulle basket inside, a Lincoln Yeutter triple and another Thybulle layup gave the Blue Jays their first lead of the game since the opening moments of the game.
• After the teams battled to ties at 58, 60 and 62, Stockton took the lead for good on a Kadian Dawkins layup with 2:33 on the clock. The Blue Jays would score just one point – a Tom Quarry free throw – in the final 2:30 and the Ospreys salted it away at the line as they hit 6-of-8 down the stretch to secure their spot in the Sweet 16.
What it Means
• Johns Hopkins ends its season in the second round of the NCAA Tournament with a record of 23-4. The Blue Jays were seeking their first Sweet 16 appearance since 2015.
• The 23 wins for the Blue Jays this season mark the fifth time Johns Hopkins has won 23 or more games in a season; three of the five have come since Loeffler took over in 2017-18.
• Stockton advances to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2014.
• The teams have now split two all-time NCAA Tournament meetings. JHU topped Stockton 78-74 in the regional consolation game in 1990.
Inside the Box Score
• Quarry (15) and Bartlett (10) led the way for the Blue Jays, who also got nine points from Delaney.
• Thybulle had a game-high 11 rebounds, including four on the offensive glass as JHU had 14 offensive rebounds in the game.
• Campbell scored a game-high 28 and added eight rebounds, while Dawkins chipped in with 15 points and six rebounds.
• Stockton was 18-of-21 (.857) from the free throw line, including 12-of-14 in the second half.