men’s hoops loses 3ot heartbreaker

MacIntosh was a perfect 4-for-4 from the field.

Johns Hopkins has always been a tough opponent for the Muhlenberg men’s basketball team, but “tough” doesn’t begin to describe the latest loss.

The Blue Jays outscored the Mules, 16-7 in the third overtime to win a 100-91 marathon. It was Hopkins’ 11th straight win against Muhlenberg, which tied the school record its longest game ever.

Junior Darrell Roth hit a three-pointer with 18 seconds left in regulation to tie the score at 66, bringing the Mules (6-8, 4-3) back from what had been a 10-point deficit early in the half.

Hopkins (8-6, 4-3) hit a layup with nine seconds left in the first overtime to take a 73-71 lead, but junior Mike Bernardini beat the buzzer, tipping in a lob pass, to send the game into a second extra session.

Bernardini finished with a career-high 32 points, joining Dennis Adams (1994) as the only players in team history to reach the 30-point mark in back-to-back games. He scored 31 at Gettysburg on Saturday.

Muhlenberg scored seven points in the first minute of the second overtime, on a four-point play by junior Chris MacIntosh and a three-pointer by Bernardini. The Blue Jays came back, however, with the next six points, and tied the game at 84 on a triple with 12 seconds on the clock.

The Mules trailed 89-88 with two minutes left in the third overtime, but two free throws and a three-pointer sandwiched around a Muhlenberg miss gave the Jays a commanding lead. They put the game away with six points on free throws in the final 52 seconds and went 46-of-57 from the line in the game.

Sophomore Obi Nwizugbo notched career highs of 19 points and 12 rebounds for his first career double-double. Roth scored 16 points in 50 minutes of play, and MacIntosh finished with a career-high 12 points.

The Mules have played five triple-overtime games in their history, losing all five.
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