Victories don’t get more emotional than the one the John Carroll men’s basketball team experienced Jan. 24 in Indiana. To say the morning of the Blue Streaks’ huge 86-74 win at first-place Wabash was a trying one for the Moran family would be the ultimate understatement. Tough times, however, can bring a team together, and that’s exactly what happened for Coach Pete Moran, his brother and assistant Pat and All-America point guard Luke Chicone. Five hours before JCU tipped off for its noon North Coast Athletic Conference showdown with the Little Giants, family members informed Pete and Pat their mother JoAnn Moran, wife of former Blue Streaks legendary coach Mike Moran, passed away after a long battle with several illnesses. JoAnn was also Chicone’s grandmother. Suffice to say, the Morans were coaching for something greater on this day, and Chicone was playing with a purpose. “To be honest, I really wasn’t thinking about basketball, just thinking about my grandmother,” said Chicone, whose mother Bridgette called with the news early Jan. 24. “… This win, I know she was watching, and it really motivated me.” Indeed it did. The Mentor product was spectacular in his 38 minutes as he scored 32 points on 13 of 21 shooting with nine assists and four rebounds. In a way, JoAnn Moran was the matriarch of the JCU men’s basketball program. For years, she sat at home games in her usual spot a few rows up and directly behind the Blue Streaks’ bench. Unfortunately this season, she wasn’t able to attend home games, and the void was noticeable. “That became a part of her identity,” said Chicone of her grandmother’s presence at JCU home games. “She was the backbone of our family and the program.” The Blue Streaks made sure Pete and Pat left the state of Indiana as winners on this day. JCU led, 49-42, at halftime, then extended that advantage to 59-46 with a 10-4 run in the first four minutes of the second half. With 8 minutes to play, it was 78-59 and the Blue Streaks were well on their way. As the final seconds ticked off the game clock, Chicone and his uncle Pete embraced for a moment that went well beyond the final score. “It was the most emotional game I have ever coached in my life,” said Pete Moran. Beyond Chicone, JCU had other contributors. Kasey Hunt was the other player in double-figure scoring with 13 points. Sean Collins of Mentor had nine points and nine rebounds and Mayfield’s Kyle Irwin scored nine points, had three rebounds and two assists. Aidan Fitzgerald of Lake Catholic added eight points and eight assists. “I absolutely love this group,” said Pete Moran. “The support they have provided me and my family through this challenging time is something that I will forever hold in my heart.” Because of the pending snowstorm throughout the Midwest, the game had its scheduled start time of 2 p.m. Jan. 24 switched to noon, meaning JCU traveled a day earlier and stayed overnight near the Wabash campus. The win was huge for the Blue Streaks’ NCAC hopes down the stretch. JCU is now 14-4 overall and 6-3 in the conference and is tied for second with Wabash. Denison was off Jan. 24 and holds a half-game lead in the NCAC at 6-2. JCU’s next game is at home against Wooster on Jan. 28. That starts a stretch in which four of the final seven regular-season games for the Blue Streaks are at home. ...read more read less