Strong start powers Hanover past Yellow Jackets

DEFIANCE, Ohio - The Hanover College Panthers scored the first 14 points of the game and never looked back in their 86-31 win over the Yellow Jackets Saturday afternoon at the Karl H. Weaner Center. 

The Panthers improve to 16-7 overall and 14-2 in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference with the win and the loss drops the Yellow Jackets to 0-23 overall and 0-16 in the HCAC. 

TURNING POINT

The Panthers stormed out of the gates by scoring the first 14 points of the game as they controlled the game from the start. Hanover forced 4 Defiance turnovers on their first six possessions and led 18-4 after the first quarter while holding the Yellow Jackets to single digit scoring quarters in three of the four. 

HOW IT HAPPENED

The strong start by Hanover forced the Yellow Jackets to play from behind all game. After falling down 14-0 to start, a layup by Taylor Bates put DC on the board with 2:36 remaining in the opening period. A layup by Zadria King was the only other bucket for the Yellow Jackets in the quarter and Hanover's Kaitlyn Lorenzi answered King's layup with a three which gave the visitors an 18-4 lead. The two teams went scoreless for the remaining 1:25 of the quarter. The Yellow Jackets turned it over seven times and Hanover scored 10 points off those turnovers. 

Hanover continued their hot start into the second period by outsourcing the Yellow Jackets 33-11 on 65 percent shooting. The Panthers started the quarter on a 7-1 run to give them a 20-point lead at 25-5. After that, the two teams traded baskets on the next six possessions and Hanover still maintained their 20-point lead. The Yellow Jackets got four points from Kaiya Albert and two from Aliza Clark during that stretch. The Panthers closed the final six minutes of the first half on a 19-2 run to take a 51-15 lead into the break. 40 of their 51 points in the half came inside the paint. 

The only two threes of the game by the Yellow Jackets came in the third quarter. Ali Mowen and Mone'a McElroy each knocked down one. The Panthers did not slow down in the second half and outscored the Yellow Jackets 35-16 during the final two quarters. 70 percent of Hanover's 86 total points came inside the paint. 

BRINGING THE STING

• Nine of the 10 Yellow Jackets that saw action scored in the game. The only one that did not score was Teagan Hunt but she finished with one assist and one rebound.

• Kaiya Albert led the way in scoring with six.

• Zadria King led the team in rebounding with six. 

• Taylor Bates chipped in with five points and three rebounds. 

• Addy Allen finished with three steals. 

• Both King and Allen finished with four points. 

• Today's 55-point loss is the largest in the series for the Yellow Jackets against the Panthers. The loss today is also the fifth this season of over 50 points. 

UP NEXT

The Yellow Jackets play their final home game of the season Tuesday night (Feb. 13) against Manchester. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. at the Karl H. Weaner Center and the DC seniors will be recognized prior to the game.