Senior duo charges M. Bball into Sweet 16

This past weekend was huge for the Hopkins men’s basketball team when they earned two victories sending them to the third round of the NCAA playoffs for the first time since 1990. A high scoring 95-87 win against Keene State on Friday night set the stage for Saturday’s theatrics in which Hopkins rallied past Skidmore late in the game, edging a 61-58 comeback to extend their playoff run.

Leading the way for the Jays offense were seniors Jimmy Hammer and George Bugarinovic who, throughout both games, combined for 80 total points and became the first pair of classmates in Hopkins history to pass the 1300 career point milestone. Along with the offensive achievements that provided plenty of spark, Bugarinovic attributed the Jays’ success over the weekend to the entire roster’s capability for production.

“This weekend was great for us as we were able to achieve our goals we had heading into it,” Bugarinovic said. “A different guy can step up every game, emphasizing that we are a true team.”

Facing the fast paced offense of the Keene State Owls, Hopkins started the first round of the tournament with a speedy attack of its own. The score was held within three for the opening 10 minutes of Friday’s contest, including a pair of lead changes and a tie. A 13-0 run sparked by sophomore Ryan Curran’s inside score brought the lead above 10 before the offense exploded again with junior Gene Williams nailing a three in between jumpers from Jeff Nunn and Nate Howard.

Despite opening neck-and-neck, Friday’s game saw the home team taking full command of the game by the half, which ended 47-29 in favor of the Jays.

The Owls showed life after the break by cutting the lead to 12 but were suppressed by consistent team defense and a phenomenal free throw shooting percentage that accounted for 34 points in the second half for the Jays.

Jimmy Hammer grabbed the headline with a season high 29 points, which is the second most in school history for a tournament game. Bugarinovic followed right behind with 26 of his own points to complement a game-high 12 rebounds. Senior guard Omar Randall added 13 points including a fast break layup late in the first half that led to a lead swell of 20.

For the school’s very first 25-win season, it took Hopkins a 40 minute grind that saw 16 lead changes and nine ties.

“It is a privilege to play for a team with such a long history,” junior center Matt Billups said. “Being able to contribute to the history of Hopkins basketball with 25 wins is a humbling experience.”

The visiting Thoroughbreds of Skidmore College came in with a nine-game win streak and a different approach from Keene.

The first half standoff tossed and turned until Skidmore managed to string together a 13-2 run before Gene Williams nailed a fast break three closely followed by a pull up jumper from Hammer to end the half in a tie of 27 points.

“It was truly a battle,” Hammer, who had another huge game with 16 points and a pair of assists, said. “Everyone was truly playing for each other, and it feels great coming out and fighting hard for the win.”

With seven minutes to go and Hopkins trailing 50-45, junior Matt Billups lit up Goldfarb Gym with a two-handed dunk that added the momentum necessary to secure the win. Bugarinovic hit a pair of free throws, and Billups followed with another jumper to end a quick 5-0 run to briefly take the lead. Connor Merrill interrupted with an opposing layup, but Billups kept the charge going with another jumper following his defensive rebound.

“This weekend the team needed every rebound, block and basket, so I was just doing the best I could,” Billups said. “But rebounding and defense in general is a team effort, and without everyone on the court doing their job its tough to be successful.”

At the one minute mark and with the lead at three, Hammer nailed his two free throws after the Thoroughbreds intentionally fouled. On their next possession, Skidmore’s Erik Sanders hit a huge three, cutting the deficit to two with only 20 seconds left on the clock. Facing heavy pressure on the inbound, Hopkins managed a successful pass with Williams getting quickly fouled and converting both his shots from the charity stripe for another four-point lead.

Merrill managed to bank another miraculous three to keep their hopes alive, but Hammer’s consistency at the free throw line added another pair, allowing time to expire as Aldin Medunjanin’s last effort three hit the rim giving Hopkins the well-deserved victory. The jubilation of Hopkins fans was evident in their storming of the court and mobbing of their victorious basketball team.

Gene Williams ended the game with 14 points with a trio of threes while sophomore Ryan Curran added 12. Billups finished with nine points, 10 rebounds and two big blocks.

With the first two rounds successfully behind them and momentum undoubtedly on their side, the Jays move on to face the No. 4 Babson Beavers on March 13.

“Two games in two days against two very different teams presented a lot of different challenges, especially in a tough Skidmore game decided in the final few minutes,” Burganovic said. “We’re excited about heading to Boston, and we’ll make sure to have a great week of practice to be as prepared as we can be.”

“We can definitely be successful because of how selfless everybody is,” Hammer said. “If we keep playing as a team and playing terrific team defense I think we could definitely win some more games in the tournament.”