What a difference 10 days has made for the John Caroll men’s basketball team. On Jan. 7, the Blue Streaks suffered a 106-90 loss to Ohio Wesleyan at home, and things looked bleak for Coach Pete Moran’s team, which fell to the second division of the North Coast Athletic Conference with the defeat . Ten days and three victories later, JCU (13-4, 5-3) is back in the hunt in the NCAC following a key 89-75 win over visiting Denison (10-6, 5-2), which entered Jan. 17 in a tie for first place. Photos from John Carroll vs. Denison men's basketball, Jan. 17, 2026. (Tim Phillis - For The News-Herald) Wabash also won on Jan. 17 and leads the conference with a 6-1 mark, but the Blue Streaks put the rest of the NCAC on notice that it won’t go quietly down the stretch. “I think this was the turning point of our season,” said JCU point guard Luke Chicone of Mentor. “Although it puts us back in the (NCAC) mix, I never really felt we left. I know what this group is capable of, and it just took a couple of weeks to get this thing moving. We’re toward the top, and we’re planning to stay here now.” .@lukechicone is proof a player can dominate without having to score big. @MentorAthletics product 7 first-half points, but 7 assists, 2 steals while playing smothering defense as @JCUMensHoops leads Denison at half 50-34 @jcusports ⁦@NHPreps⁩ ⁦@TCPPhotoCLE⁩ ⁦ pic.twitter.com/QXNJkCbXbZ — Mark Podolski (@mpodo) January 17, 2026 A big first half was the ticket for the Blue Streaks on this game day, as they amped up the defense pressure and led, 50-34, at the break. Chicone — who entered Jan. 17 averaging 23.3 points — showed why his game extends way beyond the scoring column. Although he scored just seven first-half points, Chicone dished out seven assists, made two steals and was relentless on defense. .@lukechicone to the basket for 2 … Denison leads @JCUMensHoops 23-21 @jcusports pic.twitter.com/tE9kFBFQXt — Mark Podolski (@mpodo) January 17, 2026 “It hasn’t dawned on me, and I’m sure it will at the end of the year, how special a talent he is,” said Moran. “I’m numb to it right now … I’m hard-pressed to believe there’s not a better player in Division III basketball than Luke Chicone.” Chicone again stuffed the stat sheet with 16 points, 11 assists, six rebounds and four assists, but he had plenty of help. Kasey Hunt high off the board as @JCUMensHoops leads early 17-16 @jcusports pic.twitter.com/wzYaahRg6D — Mark Podolski (@mpodo) January 17, 2026 Chicone’s 11 assists were a milestone within his family and in the JCU record books. With 410 career assists as a Blue Streak, Chicone moved to No. 6 all-time within the program, and surpassed his uncle and Coach Pete Moran, who has 403. JCU’s all-time career assist leader is Gilmour grad David Linane, who has 499.   Kasey Hunt scored a game-high 24 points on 8 of 17 shooting (including 4 of 6 from 3-point range) and teammate Mike Lamirand added 15 points and five rebounds. Forward Kyle Irwin of Mayfield chipped in with eight points and a team-high eight rebounds. Despite its 16-point lead at the break, JCU came out cold in the second half’s first six minutes with just three points. Meanwhile, the Big Red chipped away and pulled to within 53-45. That’s when Hunt and Irwin delivered dagger shots. Hunt hit back-to-back 3s from the right wing, then Irwin swished another 3 from the top of the arc. Those shots gave the Blue Streaks breathing room at 64-49 with 10 minutes to play, and they never looked back. “Those 3s were huge,” said Moran. “Got their confidence going a little bit. When you see the ball through the hoop like that, that’s crucial.” Denison was led by Liam Taylor, who had 23 points, and Kellon Smith’s 21 points. However, the Big Red shot just 43 percent from the floor, 7 of 24 from 3-point range and committed 15 turnovers. “They came with a different mindset,” said Moran about his team’s defense approach. “Our guys responded. We have tough kids that have responded well to a little bit of a hole we put ourselves in. Getting a win like that at home is a lot of momentum but we’ve just got to continue to get better, and it all starts defensively.” The Blue Streaks have another big game on deck as they travel to play at first-place Wabash on Jan. 24. The ball tips at 2 p.m. Wabash beat JCU in University Heights back on Dec. 13 in a shootout, 101-97. PHOTOS: John Carroll vs. Denison men’s basketball, Jan. 17, 2026 ...read more read less