MBB Preview: HCAC's top scorers go head-to-head in Jackets' trip to Anderson

DEFIANCE, Ohio – Defiance College travels to HCAC-leading Anderson for a Wednesday night showdown. Tipoff at O.C. Lewis Gymnasium is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. with live stats and video available to follow the action. Defiance leads the all-time series over Anderson, 51-36.

With just four games remaining and the Jackets mathematically eliminated from the HCAC Tournament, Defiance faces two tournament-bound teams to close the year beginning with the Ravens. DC is 6-15 overall and 1-13 in the conference while the Ravens are 13-8 and 11-3 in the HCAC. 

The Jackets suffered a heartbreaking, double-overtime loss at home when the two teams met last on January 11 that ended on a Tate Ivanyo heave from half court. That loss to Anderson was in the midst of what turned out to be a seven-game losing streak for Defiance. 

Since holding to a 5-5 record through Christmas, Defiance has dropped 10 of 11 contests. Anderson has had to grind out their last three wins and has had to stomach some difficult losses of their own over the last five games. Following a two-point win at Mount St. Joseph on January 21, the Ravens needed two overtimes to tame Bluffton before losing their next game at home against Earlham, which was just the fourth win of the season for the Quakers. Anderson lost their next contest at Hanover before bouncing back in their last game by handling Franklin at home by 19 points. After playing Defiance, Anderson closes the season with three games against teams in tournament position which includes a matchup against Manchester, the team they share the top of the HCAC standings.

Anderson ranks second in the conference in team scoring at 77.5 points per game, which has been aided by five overtime games. Defiance posts 69 points per contest to rank sixth while allowing a league-high 78.6 points per night. The Ravens have the top shooting team in the league at 47.6 percent while DC is second in 3-point shooting at 36 percent.

The contest will feature two of the league's top scorers in Marell Jordan at 19.6 points per game, who just surpassed 1,500 for his career on Saturday, pitted against Anderson's Ivanyo averaging 17.7 per game. Ivanyo leads the conference in 3-pointers at 61 total makes while Jordan is a top-10 player in assists (3.1 per game), blocks (18) and steals (38). 

To keep tabs on Jordan's career scoring progression, his 1,512 points rank 10th in Jackets' history. He is 30 points from making his way to ninth on the program's all-time scoring list by tying Terry Morman's four-year total of 1,542. Jordan also sits three steals away from moving into second place in career steals and is set to surpass Eric Viney's 177 swipes over four seasons.

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