MBB Preview: Yellow Jackets look to start the final month of the season strong

DEFIANCE, Ohio – After going just 1-7 in the month of January, the Defiance College men's basketball team will look to start the final month of the season strong. That starts when Manchester visits the Karl H. Weaner Center Wednesday night. Tipoff against the Spartans is set for 7:30 p.m. 

In Saturday's 95-82 loss to Hanover, Defiance hit 57 percent of their shots. The 57 percent shooting mark gave the team back-to-back games of shooting the ball well as they shot 58 percent against Mount St. Joseph. The Yellow Jackets only committed nine turnovers against Hanover, their second lowest total of the season. The Yellow Jackets now stand 6-13 overall and 1-11 in the Heartland. 

Manchester comes to Defiance winners of five straight. The Spartans are currently second in the HCAC with a 9-3 record and an overall record of 11-8. In their last game, Manchester defeated Franklin 80-67. In that game, Zach Sawyer, Logan Willoughby, and Bryant Smith combined for 50 of their 80 points. Those three guys sit in the top five of the conference in points per game. Sophomore Bryant Smith averages 17.9 ppg, sophomore Logan Willoughby averages 17.8 ppg, and junior Zach Sawyer averages 16.1 ppg. Sawyer also leads the Spartans in rebounds per game with 6.3.

Defiance senior Marell Jordan leads the scoring category in the Heartland by scoring 19.5 points per game. Jordan enters Wednesday's action 14 points shy of 1,500 points in a Yellow Jacket uniform and 10 points from moving into the top 10 of DC's all-time scoring list. Jordan is also four steals from moving into second place in Defiance's history in that category as he is tied for first in the conference at 2.1 swipes per contest.

From a team perspective, Manchester has the number one offense in the league that averages 79.3 points per game. Defiance sits seventh, scoring 69.2 points per game. The two teams have the worst two defenses in the league. Manchester allows 76.8 ppg and Defiance gives up 77.9 ppg. The Yellow Jackets shoot 37 percent beyond the arc while Manchester shoots 34 percent. Bryant Smith leads the Spartan with 56 three-point field goals and Landen Swanner leads Defiance with 35. 

The two squads last met at Manchester on November 30 and the Spartans were victorious, 86-76. In that game, the Yellow Jackets trailed by 17 at halftime and furiously came back in the second half but the comeback attempt fell short. Marell Jordan and Te Jones were the only players to score in double figures for Defiance while Manchester had four in double figures, led by Bryant Smith's 28. 

Manchester head coach Nate Conley is a 2010 graduate of Defiance College. Wednesday will be the 80th all-time meeting with Defiance leading the series, 56-23.