Jackets Swarm Quakers

DEFIANCE, OHIO  --  The Defiance College men's basketball team scored 48 points in the first half and shot 50.0 percent for the game in an 80-63 win against Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference opponent Earlham (Ind.) College at the Karl H. Weaner Center.

Three Yellow Jacket players scored in double figures led by senior forward Bernard Edwards (Detroit, Mich./Warren Cousino) with a game-high 18 points on seven-of-14 shooting (50.0 percent).  Senior guard Mason Roth (McComb) was second with 16 points and senior forward Kent Tietje (Hamler/Patrick Henry) added 14 points.  In addition, senior guard Travis Schomaeker (Ottawa/Ottawa-Glandorf) tallied a game-high seven assists and Roth had six assists.  Junior forward Wade Wooley (Wauseon) pulled down a game-high nine rebounds.

Defiance (12-4, 7-2 HCAC) led throughout the game and took control early in the first half thanks to a 14-3 scoring run that ended in a three-pointer by Edwards to put the Yellow Jackets up by 13 points, 22-9, with 13:18 to go in the period.  Earlham (0-16, 0-9 HCAC) cut the deficit back to single figures with an ensuing 6-0 run making the score 22-15.  But that would be as close as the Quakers would get the remainder of the half as DC quickly extended its lead back to double digits and went on to lead by as many as 24 points, 48-24, following a three-pointer by Roth with 49 seconds remaining before the break.  The Roth triple was the final points of the half for either team as DC took a sizeable 24-point advantage into the locker rooms.

The Jackets opened the second half with a layup by Schomaeker to record their largest lead of the game of 26 points, 50-24.  Earlham never threatened the DC lead in the final 20 minutes and Defiance equaled its game-high lead with 8:25 left to play on a three-pointer by freshman forward Michael Kaminski (Medina).  DC cruised to victory and defeated the Quakers by the final of 80-63.

Earlham was led in scoring by Taylen Alexander with 15 points.  Lajay Kelly was second with 13 points and Joe Adams rounded out the high-scorers with 12 points.

Defiance will next travel to Hanover, Ind. for a conference game against Hanover College on Saturday, Jan. 24.  The game is part of a basketball doubleheader with the Yellow Jacket women's team.  The women will also take on the Panthers in a game slated to start at 1 p.m., followed by the men at 3 p.m.