This past weekend, the Hopkins men’s basketball team travelled to Gettysburg, Pa. to take on the Gettysburg College Bullets. The matchup pitted two of the top defensive teams in the Centennial Conference, and the game certainly did not disappoint if you came looking for a defensive slugfest.
Trading blows back and forth for much of the contest, it was the sort of gritty, tough-minded game where every possession was vital and baskets were hard to come by. Ultimately, the Jays were able to hang with their foes for the entire contest but failed to hit enough crucial shots down the stretch, falling 54-51 as time expired.
The loss drops the Blue Jays to 2-3 on the season, while their Centennial Record is level at 1-1. Meanwhile, the Bullets improved to 2-3 by notching their first Conference win of the season.
People always say that basketball is a game of runs, and that certainly held true in the first half of action. Trailing 7-5 early in the first half, the Jays would go on a 15-6 run capped off by back to back three-pointers from senior forward Ryan Curran.
However, the Bullets would answer with an 11-0 run of their own to close the half, pulling ahead on a buzzer-beating three-pointer from Gettysburg forward Cameron Stewart as the clock expired. The shot was hoisted from the baseline and appeared to miraculously settle into the hoop as the Bullets took a 24-21 lead heading into the locker room. In a game that would ultimately come down to the final possession, that stroke of magic might have been the break the Bullets needed to prevail.
Gettysburg rode their momentum into the second half tip, as they connected on back to back three-pointers to stretch their lead out to seven. To keep the lead from climbing into the double digits, postgraduate guard Austin Vasiliadis would hit a jumper during this stretch for the Jays. Curran and junior forward Kyle Doran would also connect on shots to cut the deficit back down to three.
The teams would trade shots for most of the ensuing action, but then a 7-0 burst by the Jays pulled them ahead 42-40 with 8:14 to play.
However, a three point play by the Bullets would cut the lead and ultimately proved to be the turning point of the game, as it sparked one final Bullets rally that would pull them ahead for the win. Trailing 54-51 with seconds remaining, a late Jays turnover would seal the victory for Gettysburg.
Following the game, The News-Letter decided to check in on the recovery of standout guard Austin Vasiliadis, who missed the majority of last season following an ACL injury. Vasiliadis was having a breakout season for the Jays over the first six games of 2015, averaging a team 14.3 points per game and pacing the squad as a facilitator and leader.
It is great to see him back on the court, as he provides an immense amount of experience and leadership for the team. In this contest, Vasiliadis contributed five points and dished out three assists in 27 minutes of action.
“Coming back from ACL surgery is a very long, arduous process. It takes a lot of hard work, patience and mental toughness, and getting back onto the court after such a serious injury is definitely a team effort,” Vasiliadis said. “I would not be where I am today without a great group of doctors, physical therapists and trainers. Being my second ACL surgery on the same knee, it took a little longer to get my fitness back than the first time around.”
Vasiliadis also talked about the adjustment process of getting back onto the court, mentioning that he is gaining more confidence in his athleticism each and every day.
“I was definitely a little cautious when I started playing again for the first month or so, but I have felt more and more confident with each practice and game that goes by, to the point where I hardly even think about my knee anymore,” Vasiliadis said. “ I am still not quite as fast or explosive as I was last year, but I feel like I have gotten to the point where I can compete at a high level. After being away from the game for so long, these first couple months of playing again have felt awesome.”
Despite a few early losses, Vasiliadis remains confident that the Jays will able to build cohesiveness as a team and start stringing together victories in Conference play.
“Our team has a great mix of experienced upperclassmen and talented young guys. Moving forward, we need to focus on being more cohesive offensively and consistent on both sides of the court,” Vasiliadis said.
This time around, it was Curran, who led the Jays offensively. Leading all scorers, he chipped in 19 points on 7-13 from the field. Doran added nine points and proved to be a menace on the glass, tallying five rebounds.
The Jays will be back on the court on Dec 29th, when they travel to Ashland, Va. to take on York College.
Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The News-Letter.