WESTMINSTER, Md. - Sophomore Jonas Sujeta scored a career-high 26 points, but the McDaniel College men's basketball team could not overcome a large first-half deficit in an 88-78 loss to Johns Hopkins Tuesday night inside the Gill Center.

Trailing by as many as 24, the Green Terror (2-3, 0-2 CC) rallied to within six, but the Blue Jays were a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line in the final 46 seconds to hold on for their first conference win of the season.

Sujeta finished with nine field goals, including eight three-pointers to tie the school record set by Greg Hill on Jan. 19, 2000 against Gettysburg. Sujeta scored 18 points in the second half, all of which came on six three-pointers as he was 6-for-9.

Hopkins (3-4, 1-1 CC) led by as many as 24 with 14:32 remaining in the second half before McDaniel began to chip away at the deficit. Trailing 81-64 with 2:32 to play, the Green Terror used a 12-1 run, led by six point from Sujeta and four from junior Lorin Hall, to cut their deficit to six, 82-76.

While the visitors made all of their free throws down the stretch, McDaniel missed three of their final four shot attempts in falling to the Blue Jays who began the season ranked at No. 12 in the D3hoops.com preseason Top 25.

Sophomore David Kearney has 12 points, including seven from the free throw line where he was 7-for-8. Hall finished with 10 points to go along with three assists while sophomore Christian Taylor had nine points. Graduate student Brendan Kade and senior Chuck Contee each had six points and six rebounds.

The Green Terror look for their first conference win of the season on Saturday when they host Ursinus beginning at 3 p.m.