Rowan dropped their home opener on Tuesday night to Johns Hopkins, 79-73, in their home opener at Esbjornson Gymnasium in Glassboro. The loss is Rowan’s fourth in a row to start the season, with all four losses being within single digits.
The Profs led 71-69 with 3:06 remaining in the game, the latest among a trend of second half leads that haven’t translated into wins for Rowan.
“We got to find a way to win down the stretch,” Head coach Eric Brennan said. “We need key baskets, I think as a staff we have to figure out what that lineup looks like. I thought we had some good looks, others that felt forced.”
Johns Hopkins tallied 46 rebounds to the Profs’ 33. The tally for the Bluejays includes 18 offensive rebounds, a problem the Profs need to continue to navigate.
“I think we got to spend a half hour on rebounding every day,” Brennan said. “Because it doesn’t seem to matter if we have a two big lineup in, a small ball lineup, you know, so if it’s going to be an achilles heel for us, we have to address it. Not just 15 minutes a day, but a half hour a day.”
The Profs were led in rebounding by Khalil Baker and Dan Mason, who both grabbed eight boards. Baker also finished with a season-high 19 points.
“I feel like I got to get a bit more in the gym, get more in shape,” Baker said. “Do more for my team because I feel like if I stay out there longer, we can get a (win) or I contribute more when I’m out there on the floor.”
Brennan called timeout with 49 seconds left, down 74-71. Off the timeout, Brycen Williams attacked the rim but was unable to score, leading to a Johns Hopkins takeaway. With 31.8 seconds to go, Rowan was forced to foul and send junior guard Nick Klaiber to the line, who made both shots and put the Bluejays up, 76-71.
Taz Cantey spun through the lane and scored a layup with 23 seconds to go to bring the game with 76-73, but Rowan’s need to foul kept Johns Hopkins ahead, who eventually took home a six-point win.
Rowan’s loss brings their season total to 0-4 against tough teams that the Profs have kept close games against. It’s the third straight game that has seen the Profs with a lead late into the game that doesn’t turn into a win.
“Some guys aren’t familiar with [Division III] or even if they are, they don’t understand how I schedule,” Brennan said. “They don’t look at the D-3 world as much as a coach does. So [Johns] Hopkins is picked second in the Centennial, and Wilkes is picked third in the Landmark [Conference] and Mary Washington in top 15. Rowan should be there with those programs that I want us to be, and this is opening the guys’ eyes to what we need to do, to do that. The only way this becomes disappointing, is if it was all for nothing.”
Now, the Profs have a chance to rebound on the road at Delaware Valley on Thursday at 7 p.m. It’s the final non-conference tilt before play in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) begins, tipping off with Montclair State on Tuesday, Nov. 25.
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