Transy Battle Spotlighted by Jordan's Career-High

DEFIANCE, OHIO - The Defiance College men's basketball program hosted Transylvania University at the Karl H. Weaner Center on Saturday afternoon. The team's first matchup of the season saw the Pioneers hit the road with a ten point victory, 86-76. 

The contest was highlighted by Marell Jordan's (West Lafayette, Ind. / Lafayette Jefferson) scoring output for DC. The freshman shattered his career high of 19, as he finished the day with 30 points against Transy. The West Lafayette, Ind. native also tallied seven rebounds and five steals in the affair. 

Also breaking the double-digit mark were Sean Tyson (Columbus / Centennial) with 13, Jordan Maschino (Bradford / Covington) with a quiet 12 points, and Tyler Andrew (Indianapolis, Ind. / Lawrence Central) with 10. Maschino and Andrew each equaled Jordan's efforts on the glass, reeling in seven rebounds each. 

The Pioneers struck first in the HCAC contest, sinking a pair of shots from the charity stripe just 11 seconds into the contest. Despite Defiance's strong efforts, the powerful Transy offense never relinquished the lead. 

DC kept the Pioneer's on their toes throughout the entire game, with multiple runs at the lead. Down 43-32 with just over four minutes remaining in the first half, Coach Scott Cutter looked to reset his squad with a timeout. Coming out of the break, the Yellow Jackets struck fast, with Jordan sinking a mid-range jumper. DC grabbed a rebound and ran with it, as Andrew found space for a layup to continue the run. A Maschino and Jordan pair of baskets had the Yellow Jacket faithful with a renewed energy as the sides moved towards halftime. 

Transylvania was able to sink one more shot during the half as the sides headed to the locker rooms with a 47-40 Pioneer lead. 

The second half of action saw the Pioneer offense continue their efficiency. Despite shooting 44% (12-27) from the field, the Yellow Jackets were unable to make a significant dent into the Transy lead for much of the second half. 

There was no quit within the Defiance side. With the scoreboard reading Transy 86, Defiance 71, the Yellow Jackets looked to continuing pushing the Pioneers with just under two minutes left to play. Two Tyson free-throws along with a Jordan jumper and a free-throw of his own gave the Yellow Jackets their final output of 76. 

With the loss, Defiance drops to 2-11 on the season and an 0-6 mark in HCAC play. The Purple and Gold will look to break their losing streak as they welcome rival Bluffton to the Weaner Center on Wednesday, Jan. 9th. The always exciting contest is set to tip-off at 8:00 pm, following the women's game with the Beavers.