Nov. 16, 2007

Box Score

BALTIMORE, MD - Senior captain Doug Polster (Bernardsville, NJ/Bernards) punched up a career-high 26 points as Johns Hopkins (1-0) defeated Carnegie Mellon (0-1) in the Blue Jay Invitational Friday night at Goldfarb Gym. The Blue Jays open their season with a win for the sixth consecutive time.

After an opening bucket by the Tartans' Ryan Einwag, sophomore Pat O'Connell (Baltimore, MD/Loyola Blakefield) hit a jumper, knotting the score at two and starting a 12-1 Blue Jays' run. Rob Pearson ended the run with a lay-up at 11:55 to make it a 14-5 game. But a free throw by Phil Beggans (Ocean, NJ/Ocean Township) and a three by Polster and Hopkins led 18-5. The Blue Jays maintained a double-digit lead, extending it to as much as 16 points, until a trey from Geoff Kozak made it a 35-26 game with 3:30 to play in the half. An offensive foul on sophomore Andrew Farber-Miller (Charlottesville, VA/St. Anne's-Belfield) gave the ball back to the Tartans. Carnegie Mellon converted off the turnover with a lay-up from Matthew Pettit and the Jays' lead was down to seven.

Polster and junior Collin Kamm (Avon, NJ/Saint Rose) sandwiched free throws around a bucket from Pettit as Hopkins led 38-30 with just 1:15 to play. Shane Rife and Greg Gonzalez would each hit a free throw in the closing minute of the half for the Tartans as Hopkins took a 39-32 lead into the break.

Hopkins came out strong to start the second as Polster connected on a bucket from downtown pushing the Blue Jays lead back to double-digits. Jack Anderson answered with a three for Carnegie Mellon and it was a seven-point game again. O'Connell then hit a pair of free throws to start a quick 10-3 run for the Blue Jays. Hopkins, leading by as many as 17 points, maintained its double-digit lead for the next 15 minutes. Jack Anderson drained a free throw with 3:10 to play, trimming the lead to 75-66. A missed jumper by Kamm and two free throws by Gonzalez and the Blue Jays led by just seven with 2:15 to play.

Anderson then got a steal and converted a lay-up, making it 75-70. After a missed Polster three-pointer, Anderson went to the line on a foul by Kamm. Anderson converted the first to trim the lead to four, but missed on the second with sophomore Adam Baumgartner (Reston, VA/Bishop O'Connell) grabbing the rebound. Farber-Miller then hit a lay-up as the shot clock expired on a crisp pass from Baumgartner with 34 seconds on the clock.

The Tartans pushed it right down and got the ball down low to Anderson. He went up for a lay-up, but it was blocked by senior captain Kevin Roach (Derwood, MD/Magruder) and Polster grabbed the rebound. Polster passed the ball out to Kamm, who was immediately fouled. That would be the game as Kamm and Polster each hit on a pair of free throws to seal the win.

O'Connell (14 points) and Kamm (12 points) joined Polster in double figures. Einwag led the Tartans with 18 points before being ejected after a flagrant foul on Polster. Kozak (13 points) and Anderson (14) also scored in double figures for Carnegie Mellon.

Hopkins returns to action on Saturday night against Richard Stockton in the championship game of the 17th annual Blue Jay Invitational. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:00 pm. Stockton defeated the New York City College of Technology 91-62 in the earlier game on Friday. Carnegie Mellon and City Tech will meet in the consolation game at 6:00 pm.

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