Jackets Fall to Wheaton in Lee Pfund Championship

WHEATON, ILL.  --  A high scoring second half by Wheaton (Ill.) College resulted in a 76-61 loss for the Defiance College men's basketball team in the championship game of the Lee Pfund Classic in Wheaton, Ill.

The Yellow Jackets were led in scoring by junior Tyler Alexander (Indianapolis, Ind./Northwest) with a game-tying high 19 points on eight-of-13 shooting (61.5 percent).  He also grabbed a game-high nine rebounds.  Fellow junior Michael Parker (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence North) also scored in double figures with 12 points.  

The Defiance (1-1) offense came out firing on all cylinders in the first half shooting 57.1 percent (16-of-28) for the period.  Despite giving up the game's first bucket, the Yellow Jackets answered with a 10-0 scoring run capped by a three-pointer by Alexander to give DC a 10-2 lead at the 16:28 minute mark. 

Wheaton (3-1) battled back to within three points, 12-9, before another DC run of nine straight points that included a pair of layups by junior Keandre Gilmer (Toledo/Rogers), gave the Jackets their first double-digit lead of 12 points, 21-9, with 10:10 left in the half.  DC led by as many as 13 points on several occasions, including a 35-22 edge with just under four minutes to go following a layup by Alexander.

The Thunder then began their rally outscoring the Jackets, 12-2, to end the half that got Wheaton to within striking distance, trailing by just three points, 37-34, at the break.

The second half saw the Thunder shoot an impressive 68.2 percent (15-of-22) from the field, including 80.0 percent (four-of-five) from long range and 72.7 percent (eight-of-11) at the free-throw line.  Defiance led by seven points in the early minutes of the period, but Wheaton hung with the Jackets and eventually tied and took the lead as part of a 7-0 run to jump out in front, 54-51, with 11:22 to go.

Following a layup by Alexander on DC's ensuing possession, Wheaton continued its run with 13 unanswered points to record its first double-digit advantage of the game, 67-53, at the 7:13 mark.  The Thunder maintained their double figure lead the rest of the way and went on to lead by as many as 16 points multiple times with the last one coming at the 1:10 mark with a score of 75-59.  A pair of free-throws by junior Devin Mangas (Leipsic) would be the final points scored by DC in the game as Wheaton went on to post the 76-61 final.

Wheaton shot 48.2 percent overall for the game (27-of-56) and made 15-of-20 free-throw attempts (75.0 percent).  The Thunder were led by Michael Berg who scored a game-tying high 19 points and had eight rebounds.  Jonathan Berntsen was second in scoring with 16 points, followed by the duo of Luke Peters and Murad Dillard who scored 11 points each.

Following the tournament, Defiance had two players selected to the All-Tournament Team in Mangas and Alexander.

Defiance will return home to host Ohio Northern University in the home opener at the Karl H. Weaner Center on Tuesday, Nov. 24 as part of a basketball doubleheader with the Yellow Jacket women's team.  The women will also take on the Polar Bears in a game beginning at 5:30 p.m., followed by the men at 7:30 p.m.