Yellow Jackets and Lions Battle in Double-Overtime Thriller

CINCINNATI, OHIO - A snowy Saturday of HCAC basketball was highlighted by a double overtime thriller between the Defiance College men's basketball team and Mount St. Joseph. The Yellow Jackets dropped to epic contest 80-74. 

Four Yellow Jackets reached double-digit scoring in the exciting HCAC affair. Sean Tyson (Columbus / Centennial) tallied a team-high 19 points. Marell Jordan (West Lafayette, Ind. / Lafayette Jefferson) landed 16 points on the day, his 11th double-digit performance of the season. Tyler Andrew (Indianapolis, Ind. / Lawrence Central) dropped 13 points on the Lions defense, while Jordan Maschino (Bradford / Covington) earned 10 points. 

The hosts struck first, taking a 9-0 lead before a Maschino layup grabbed the Yellow Jackets first points of the day. MSJ continued to lead for much of the first half, taking a 38-25 lead into halftime. 

The second half saw the Yellow Jackets come out stinging as Defiance scored the first seven points of the period to bring the score within six. The momentum the Jackets were slowly building broke through with 10:58 on the clock. Jalen Peck (Cincinnati / Lakota East) found Andrew with some space beyond the arc, where Andrew calmly sunk the three pointer to tie the game at 49. 

Still looking for the first DC lead of the affair, Tyson pulled up from deep to give DC the 54-51 advantage with under 10 minutes remaining. As time ran down in the second half of action, Jordan sunk a free throw to tie the contest with 1:53 left. Neither side could find a decisive basket as they looked ominously toward overtime. 

The scoring trend continued as neither team could find much of a lead in OT, with the largest advantage being just four points. Up one, DC looked to close out the game. MSJ found their way to the charity stripe, sinking one, sending the game into a second overtime period. 

An Andrew layup gave the Jackets the lead in the decisive period, before MSJ was able to grab a little breathing room. Down the stretch, the home side was able to pull away from the Yellow Jackets and ultimately grab the thrilling victory.

The narrow defeat sends Defiance's record to 2-13 on the season, and an 0-8 mark in HCAC play. The Purple and Gold will return home on Wednesday, Jan. 16 as they host Earlham at 7:30 pm.