M. B-ball wins two despite injuries

In the absence of senior co-captain forward Matthew Eisley, the Johns Hopkins all-time shot blocker, it looked like a NCAA Division III Championship berth would be asking too much for the Blue Jays, but junior co-captain forward Steve Adams had other plans. Adams strong play helped to lead Johns Hopkins to a 2-3 record and earned him a spot on the Centennial Conference Honor Roll.

In the five games this season, Adams leads the Blue Jays with 17.6 points per game and 9.2 rebounds per game, with two double-doubles and a career high 19 rebounds in a win against Roanoke.

The Blue Jays opened the 2001-02 season falling to Greensboro College, 66-61 in the Blue Jay Classic Nov. 16-17. Adams led Johns Hopkins with 23 points and seven rebounds, and junior guard Jay Kreider finished with 11 points. Despite a close game with the Greensboro up by only two at the half, 34-32, the Blue Jays were unable to get no closer than 58-55 in the final two minutes.

Johns Hopkins, who received limited play from Eisley, suffering from a stress fracture, lost its first season opener since the 1994-95 season. Eisley has a career 137 blocked shots, which is a school record and third best all-time in the Centennial Conference. Losing Eisley takes away a big defensive threat and scoring option for the Blue Jays.

"Before the season started, we expected to be a very competitive team and even to win the Centennial Conference," said Bill Nelson, in his 16th season as Blue Jay head coach. "Eisley has been a big factor since he has been here and has improved every year. Losing him has set us back a little this season."

Despite the loss in the season opener, Johns Hopkins was able to defeat Case-Western Reserve, 93-67 in the second match of the tournament. Adams again led the Blue Jays with 22 points and 10 rebounds while juniors forward Mike Blaine and guard Dan Burruss added 10 and 13 points respectively. Junior co-captain point guard Brenden Kamm added five assists in the victory. Johns Hopkins controlled the game, never letting the lead get below 15 points.

After the victory, the Blue Jays faced the team from Goucher, losing 74-66 Nov. 20 in a game plagued by fouls. Eisley made his return to the starting lineup, leading Johns Hopkins with 17 points and Burruss added 10 points, but it was not enough to stop a late surge by Goucher. The Blue Jays led at the half 31-29 but were broken down defensively, being outscored 45-35 in the second half.

Next the Blue Jays went to Trinity College in Texas to compete in the Trinity Tournament Nov. 24-25, where they went 1-1. In the first game, Johns Hopkins was outplayed by a stronger and faster Otterbein team. Despite strong showings from Adams, Kamm and Kreider who scored 19, 16 and 14, respectively, the Blue Jays found themselves down by 10 at the half, eventually losing 81-69.

But Johns Hopkins was able to make adjustments and come together for an impressive 92-86 victory over Roanoke College. Adams had 24 points and 19 rebounds to lead the Blue Jays to a third place finish.

In both the Blue Jay Classic and Trinity Tournament, Adams has been named to the all-tournament teams for his strong, consistent performances.

"The main thing that has been hurting us this season in the loss of Eisley," Kamm said. "But Adams has been able to fill his spot, leading the team in both scoring and rebounding. He is just playing outstanding right now."

Despite scoring over 90 in two games this season, a feat last accomplished in the 1992-93 season, the Blue Jays offensive productivity has been hampered by turnovers.

"A major problem last season was not having a strong outside game," Nelson said. "We were able to improve and shoot better this season, but now we are constantly letting teams back into the game because of turnovers."

The Blue Jays lead the Centennial Conference with 36 three-pointers this season, a large improvement from last season. With the improved outside game, Johns Hopkins hopes to open up the inside game.

Nelson is not too worried about the 2-3 record this season, as he has been trying many different combinations to find a strong lineup that will compensate for the loss of Eisley.

"With the conference games coming in a week, we need to get a set of strong starters so that we can be competitive," Nelson said. "It's going to be anybody's ball game this season, and I think we have the right ingredients for a great season."

Johns Hopkins is currently ranked no. 3 in the West Division according to preseason polls. Ahead of the Blue Jays are its two main rivals, top-ranked Franklin & Marshall and No. 2 Gettysburg. Both are teams that will challenge Johns Hopkins for the top spot in the Centennial Conference and an NCAA tournament berth.

The Blue Jays will next travel to compete against Elizabethtown today and will face Haverford in its first conference game Dec.1.

"Every game that we are playing, there is definitely improvement in the team chemistry and the overall play of each player," Kamm said.

"Our main goal is to win the conference, so as we get healthier and play more together, I don't see any problem reaching our goal.