This past weekend, the Hopkins men’s basketball team travelled to Allentown, Pa. to take on the Muhlenberg College Mules in a pivotal Centennial Conference tilt. In a wild, back-and-forth affair, the Mules ultimately prevailed over the Jays by a score of 58-53.
With the loss the Jays dropped to an even 10-10 on the season (7-6 CC) while the Mules improved to 8-11 (5-8 CC).
The Jays are a talented unit, laden with seniors, but they have struggled on the road this season and have also displayed a tendency of playing down to their competition.
The Mules are a talented squad who are capable of beating any opponent in the Conference, especially at home, so the loss cannot be considered a major disappointment.
However, with the Jays fighting for seeding in the Conference tournament, each remaining matchup is incredibly pivotal if the Jays want to have a realistic chance of making another deep post-season run.
The game can be defined by a series of game-altering runs on both sides which constantly tipped the scale in favor of one opponent over the other.
Hopkins opened up an 8-2 lead to begin the contest, but the Mules surged back with an 11-2 burst which put them out in front midway through the first half. The game drew to a tie at 17 all with under five minutes remaining in the first period, but a 9-2 burst by the Mules put them ahead 26-19 as the game drew near the break.
A clutch three from standout senior forward Matt Billups and a pair of free throws from sophomore guard Kyle Doran pulled Hopkins within three near the close of the half.
A 16-2 run by the Jays to open the second period stretched their lead to 39-31 at the 13:45 mark.
The outburst was catalyzed through the scoring efforts of both junior guard Ryan Curran, who pitched in a game high 17 points, and senior forward Sam Gordon.
The two combined for 15 of the 16 points scored during the outburst, and it appeared that the Jays were about to assert themselves and coast on a comfortable margin.
But the Mules battled back, chipping away at the Hopkins lead over the next 10 minutes until five straight points by Muhlenberg opened the Mules up to a 48-46 lead with only 4:26 left to play. Curran drove into the lane and made a clutch layup to push Hopkins level at 48 but Muhlenberg standout sophomore Nick Rindock answered with a basket of his own, and the Mules never trailed again.
Standouts for the Jays included senior Sam Gordon, who had a double-double with 10 points and 10 boards. Senior Matt Billups also pitched in 10 points of his own and blocked three shots. The primary facilitator in the contest was sophomore guard Jesse Flannery, who dished out a game-high six assists and made an impact defensively with three steals. Curran, who lead all Hopkins scorers with 17 points on an efficient 7-12 shooting, told The News-Letter that he was disappointed with the loss but that there were still some positives. Going forward, the Jays cannot take any opponent lightly and will have to remain focused and dedicated in practice in order to finish the year on a late-season surge.
“Positives we can draw from the loss is that it shows us that we cannot take anyone in this Conference lightly and have to show up every night to play,” said Curran. “The team is going to need to come to practice focused every night for the rest of the season. Everything we do on the court starts in practice.”
This team entered the year with lofty goals, and there is still time and opportunity to accomplish it all but they will need to take it one game at a time and put together consistent and reliable efforts on both sides of the ball, both at Goldfarb and away from its familiar confines. The Jays have four games remaining in their Conference slate. The team will host Haverford on Feb. 15, with tipoff set for 8 p.m.
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