Just As Sweet The Fourth Time: John Carroll Wins OAC Men's Basketball Tournament - Feb 29, 2016

It had been seven years since John Carroll last hoisted the trophy that goes to the champion of the Ohio Athletic Conference postseason tournament. So naturally it would not be easily earned.
When Marietta was unable to get off a potential game-tying shot at the buzzer, the John Carroll bench erupted to celebrate the program's fourth conference tournament crown by virtue of an 87-85 victory before a raucous and partisan crowd at Ban Johnson Aerena on the Marietta College campus. The Blue Streaks held the lead for most of the contest, and never trailed by more than two points, yet never could get comfortable. Even when the lead reached 14 points.
After Marietta took a 3-2 lead in the opening two minutes, the Blue Streaks would retake the lead and not surrender it again for the remainder of the first half on a Danny Wallack (5'10''-PG-93) three ball at the 17:38 mark. The Blue Streaks would go ahead twice by 14 points in the opening 20 minutes, the last of which occurred when Allen Stokes (6'6''-F/C) dropped in a lay-up with 5:37 to play that gave John Carroll a 37-23 advantage. Marietta would make a run near the end of the first half that cut its deficit six at 41-35, but baskets down the stretch by David Linane (5'9''-PG) and Ryan Farragher (6'2''-G) would put the lead back to double digits, and the visiting Blue Streaks took a 45-35 lead into the locker room.
Simon Kucharewicz (6'7''-F-93) would score on the opening play of the second half to extend the lead to 12 at 47-35, but the Pioneers would slowly chip away from that point on. As the John Carroll lead decreased, the intensity level inside the "Banjo" increased, and reached a fever pitch when Dillon Young sank a three-pointer to give Marietta its ifrst lead of the second half, 67-66 with 8:23 remaining in regulation.
Farragher immediately responded, nailing a three-pointer ten seconds later, giving JCU the lead once again.
It was short lived when Young tied matters up at 69-69 with a pair of free throws, after which A.J. Edwards (6'5''-F) made a lay-up to put the home team on top 71-69 with 7:56 left on the clock.
Farragher and Will Starks (6'2''-G) answered back, the latter of which gave John Carroll a 73-71 lead at the 7:01 mark.
John Carroll held the lead until Marietta tied the game at 81-81 on two more Young free tosses with 1;38 left to play.
The Blue Streaks then seemingly put together a 100-second stretch in which they took command. Kucharewicz made a basket for an 83-81 lead at the 1;29 mark, and after Marietta turned the ball over on an over-and-back, Linane sliced through the Pioneers defense at the end of the shot clock for a lay-up and an 85-81 advantage with 35 seconds showing.
Marietta tried a quick answer but it backfired, and Linane found Starks down the floor for an easy lay-up and an 87-81 lead with 21 seconds to play.
The Pioneers quickly scored and fouled Linane on the inbounds. With under nine seconds to play and only in the bonus, David Linane (5'9''-PG) missed the front end of the one-and-one to give the Pioneers life. Luis Gracia scored with 4.0 seconds to make it a two-point game at 87-85. Again Linane was fouled, and with marietta still only in the bonus, David Linane faced yet another one-and-one. he would miss, setting up a dramatic final four seconds. Marietta got the ball in bounds and down the floor, but the JCU defense swarmed on Young and he could not get a shot off before the buzzer.
John Carroll can now add the 2016 title to the ones won in 2003, 2004 and 2009. Linane was named Most Valuable Player of the OAC Tournament, and Farragher was named to the all-tournament team. Both teams are now 25-3 on the season, and Marietta figures to be an NCAA at-large qualifier for the national postseason tournament. John Carroll, by virtue of its win tonight, gets the league's automatic bid. Linane and Farragher each had 18 points, Antonio Vuyancih had 16 and Kucharewicz added 11 as John Carroll shot 35-74 (.473) from the field, 9-26 (.346) from three-point range, and 8-11 (.727) from the line. Marietta was led by a game-high 20 points from Garcia.

OAC Tournament Final: John Carroll - Marietta 87-85
OAC Tournament Semifinals:
Mount Union - John Carroll 74-93
Baldwin Wallace - Marietta 66-91

Courtesy of John Carroll