UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, Ohio – The Capital men's basketball teams put forth a valiant effort on Saturday afternoon, but came up just short against John Carroll University. The Blue Streaks edged the Crusaders 65-63.

Trailing 23-14 halfway through the first half, the Capital (5-16, 3-11 OAC) used a 12-2 run to take a 26-25 lead. The run was highlighted by the first of four made 3-pointers from Daniel Ocke (Sidney, Ohio).

The two teams jostled for the lead in the final minutes of the half until John Carroll (15-5, 11-3 OAC) guard David Hendrickson hit a jumper as time expired to give the Blue Streaks the lead 32-30.

John Carroll began to pull away from Capital, leading 50-14 with 11:53 left to play before Aj Dixon (Hilliard, Ohio) pulled down a rebound off of his own missed shot and turned it into a layup. The next possession, Charles English (Cincinnati, Ohio) took a pass from Dixon and converted it into a made shot from beyond the arc. The Crusaders cut the deficit to 50-46.

Down by four with 2:49 left in the game, a 3-point shot from Ocke made the score 59-58. The Blue Streaks tried to put the Crusaders away for good, making four of their next five free throw attempts but Ocke answered with another three-ball to bring the score to 63-61 with 32 seconds left.

An intentional foul from Capital sent the Blue Streaks back to the line. Junior guard Danny Wallack only made one of his two attempts. Andrew Bolka (Xenia, Ohio) made a layup to cut the score to 64-63. Wallack was sent to the line again, resulting in the same 1-for-2 outcome. The Crusaders rebounded the missed shot with 10 seconds left. Capital missed a potential game-winning 3-pointer as the clock hit zero.

Capital led John Carroll in all shooting categories. The Crusaders shot 25-for-59 (.424) in field goals, 7-for-21 (.333) in 3-pointers, and 6-for-9 (.667) in free throws.

Bolka recorded a double-double, scoring 16 points and pulling down a career-high 18 rebounds. The senior forward shot 7-for-10 from the field and recorded a block.

Ocke was consistent all game from the 3-point line as he went 4-for-5 (.800) on his way to scoring 12 points.

The leading scorers for the Blue Streaks were Doug Caputo and Hendrickson, each scored 13.

The Crusaders return to the Capital Center to take on Muskingum (6-15, 3-11 OAC) on Wednesday, Feb. 11. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.