Wooley Nets Double-Double in Loss to Anderson

DEFIANCE, OHIO  --  Senior forward Wade Wooley (Wauseon) recorded his second straight double-double with 14 points and a career-tying and game-high 15 rebounds, but the Defiance College men's basketball team couldn't withstand a second-half offensive fleury by Anderson (Ind.) University and came out on the losing end of an 81-78 decision at the Karl H. Weaner Center.

Wooley's double-double was also his fifth of the season.  Junior Tyler Alexander (Indianapolis, Ind./Northwest) scored a team-high 26 points on 10-of-17 shooting from the field (58.8 percent) and grabbed eight boards.  Freshman Blake Dunbar (Napoleon) was second in scoring with 15 points, followed by Wooley with 14 points to round out the high scorers.

As a team, Defiance shot 54.4 percent (31-of-57) from the field, but was able to convert just 52.4 percent (11-of-21) of its attempts at the free-throw line.

The first half belonged to Defiance (10-8, 8-3 HCAC) as the Yellow Jackets dominated shooting 64.5 percent (20-of-31) for the period which began with a 10-0 scoring run right out of the gate to grab the early lead.  Anderson (9-9, 6-5 HCAC) battled back to within a point on multiple occasions, including a 16-15 edge with 11:42 to play in the half.

Leading by a basket, DC began to pull away outscoring the Ravens, 12-4, to record its largest lead of the game of 13 points, 35-22, following a three-pointer by junior Michael Parker (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence North) at the 6:48 mark.  The Jackets equaled its game-high margin multiple times in the final minutes en route to having a 12-point advantage at the break with a halftime score of 47-35.

DC maintained its double-digit lead in the early minutes of the second half, but Anderson began to chip away at the deficit and the Yellow Jacket lead was soon cut to just four points, 54-50, with 13:52 remaining.  A triple by Dunbar, which he later followed up with a jumper, extended the lead back out to nine points, 59-50, with 11-and-a-half minutes to go.

The Ravens remained within striking distance and later took their first lead of the game with just under seven minutes left, 67-66, thanks to a 7-0 run.  Shortly after, DC moved back ahead on the scoreboard and had a five-point advantage, 78-73, following a dunk by Alexander with 1:01 on the clock.

Anderson ended the game with an 8-0 run as missed free-throws by Defiance and a turnover would force the Jackets to foul the Ravens in order to preserve time on the clock for a possible comeback.  But the Ravens sealed the game with free-throws of their own and went on to the 81-78 final.

Anderson had two players score in double figures with Stanley Duncan recording a game-high 33 points and made eight three-pointers.  Micah Smith was the only other Raven in double digits with 12 points, including eight points coming at the charity stripe.

Defiance will remain at home to host Hanover (Ind.) College on Saturday, Jan. 30 in a Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference game at the Weaner Center.  The game will also be part of a basketball doubleheader with the Yellow Jacket women's team.  The women will tip-off against the Panthers at 1 p.m., followed by the men at 3 p.m.