Yellow Jackets Fall to Ohio Northern

ADA, OHIO  --  The Defiance College men's basketball team fell to Ohio Northern University, 93-51, in a non-conference game in Ada, Ohio.

The Yellow Jackets were held to just 28.6 percent shooting (20-of-70), including 25.8 percent (eight-of-31) from three-point range.  DC had one player score in double figures in junior Jonathan Ragland (Wilmette, Ill./Loyola Academy) who netted 11 points on four-of-eight (50.0 percent) shooting.

The duo of senior Michael Parker (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence North) and sophomore Randall Aikins (Detroit, Mich./Plymouth) were tied for second in scoring with eight points each.

Freshman DeMario Hill (Cincinnati/Cincinnati Taft) led Defiance in rebounding with six boards (one offensive and five defensive).  

Ohio Northern (1-2) jumped out to a commanding lead scoring the game's first 23 points.  Defiance (0-3) was held scoreless for the opening 9:26, but got on the board with a layup by senior Chris Holmes (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence North) at the 10:34 minute mark.  The Polar Bears continued the scoring run and built a 27-2 advantage with 9:50 left in the first half.

The Yellow Jackets would have to try and play catch-up the rest of the way, but another scoring run by ONU late in the period, increased the deficit to its largest of the half of 28 points, 41-13, with just under five-and-a-half minutes to go.

Still trailing by 28 points, DC got a little bit of momentum to end the opening half with a 9-0 run that began with a triple by Parker and ended with a jumper by Parker as time expired, narrowing the gap to 43-24 at the intermission.

The 19-point deficit at the end of the first period was as close as DC got as ONU regained momentum early in the second half and continued to pull away throughout the final 20 minutes.  The Polar Bears eventually went on to lead by as many as 45 points on two occasions with the last one being a 93-48 advantage with 15 seconds remaining.

Defiance scored the final points of the game on a three-point play by freshman Brayden Wilhelm (Greenwich/South Central), but ONU already had the game in hand and went on to post the 93-51 final.

The Jackets are scheduled to host Wilmington College on Wednesday, Nov. 30 in the home opener at the Karl H. Weaner Center.  The game is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m.