Men's Basketball Loses Close Game Against Hanover (Ind.)

HANOVER, IND.  --  In a game that featured 12 ties and nine lead changes, the Defiance College men's basketball team fell short of Hanover (Ind.) College, 63-61, in a Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference game at Collier Arena in Hanover, Ind.

Senior guard Travis Schomaeker (Ottawa/Ottawa-Glandorf) led all Yellow Jacket scorers with 19 points on seven-of-10 shooting (70.0 percent), including five-of-six (83.3 percent) from three-point range.  Senior forward Bernard Edwards (Detroit, Mich./Warren Cousino) was second with 17 points and senior guard Mason Roth (McComb) rounded out the high scorers with 10 points.

Defiance (12-5, 7-3 HCAC) began the game with five straight points thanks to a jumper by junior forward Wade Wooley (Wauseon) and a three-pointer by Schomaeker to grab the early lead.  But Hanover (9-8, 6-4 HCAC) answered with an ensuing 5-0 scoring run of its own to tie the game and the two teams went back-and-forth the rest of the way.  Hanover (9-8, 6-4 HCAC) led by four points, 26-22, at the 5:45 mark when DC went on an 11-0 run to regain the lead and make the score 33-26 following a layup by Edwards with 2:29 left before halftime.  The two teams traded triples and a final layup by the Panthers to end the scoring made it a 36-31 Defiance advantage at the break.

In the second half, the Panther offense caught fire as Hanover shot an impressive 65.0 percent (13-of-20) from the floor and held Defiance to 34.6 percent (nine-of-26) shooting.  Despite the hot shooting, the Yellow Jackets maintained a slight edge until the 16:18 mark when a 10-0 Panther run put Hanover back on top with a five-point lead, 48-43, with 13:19 to go in the game.  Neither team led by more than five points the remainder of the game.  Trailing by two points, Defiance evened the game for the 12th time, this time at 61-61 thanks to a pair of free-throws by Roth with just under a minute to go.  Hanover connected on a layup with seven seconds to take the lead and set up a final scoring opportunity for the Jackets.  But DC failed to get a shot away as a turnover ended the game and sealed a 63-61 win for Hanover.

Hanover was led in scoring by V.J. Billups with 21 points.  The duo of Wes McKinney and Kyle James were second with 13 points each and Corey Muchmore added 10 points to go along with nine boards.

Defiance will host rival Bluffton University on Wednesday, Jan. 28 at the Karl H. Weaner Center.  The game will be part of a basketball doubleheader with the Yellow Jacket women's team.  The women will tip-off against the Beavers at 6 p.m., followed by the men at 8 p.m.