Men’s basketball opens HCAC play with road win after layoff

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – The Defiance College men's basketball team opened Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference play on Saturday afternoon with an 83-73 road win over the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Fightin' Engineers at Hulbert Arena. Defiance, now a perfect 6-0 overall this season, was coming off a two-week layoff with its last game being played on Nov. 23.

After Rose-Hulman – which drops to 2-6 overall and 0-2 in the HCAC – scored the contest's first eight points, the Yellow Jackets stormed back to lead, 31-18, before holding a 42-33 edge at halftime. DC upped its advantage to 67-53, its largest of the afternoon, before the Fightin' Engineers went on a 15-1 run to tie the contest at 68-68. Defiance pulled away down the stretch by making 8-of-8 free throws in the final minute.

Both teams took the majority of their shots from three-point territory with the Yellow Jackets connecting on 12 of 36 (33.3 percent) and RHIT 7 of 32 (21.9). At the foul line, DC knocked down 19 of 25 (76.0 percent) while the hosts were just 6 of 11 (54.5). Defiance had 11 turnovers with Rose-Hulman committing 19.

For the winners, Micaiah Cox (Fort Recovery, Ohio/Fort Recovery) posted a game-high 19 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the floor, including 4 of 6 from behind the three-point arc. Sean Tyson (Columbus, Ohio/Centennial) came up with 17 points, six assists, five rebounds and three steals while Tyler Andrew (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence Central) also scored 17, going 6-of-6 at the free throw line. Off the bench, the Jackets got big contributions from freshman Avonte Jones (Columbus, Ohio/Pickerington Central), who recorded 11 points and four assists, and Marell Jordan (Lafayette, Ind./Jefferson), who was credited with seven rebounds and a game-best four steals.

DC comes home to play Oberlin College in a non-conference contest on Tuesday. Tipoff at the Karl H. Weaner Community Center is scheduled at 7:30 p.m.