Jackets drop heartbreaker to Bluffton, 80-77

DEFIANCE, Ohio – A roller-coaster finish at the Karl H. Weaner Center on Wednesday saw the Defiance Yellow Jackets erase a 10-point deficit in the second half, but the final shot to tie the game with 2.9 seconds left was off target to finish an 80-77 loss to the Bluffton Beavers.

The Yellow Jackets matched a season-high with 13 made 3-pointers, had the team's best shooting performance in a conference game, and scored a season-high 77 points despite the defeat. The loss was the 11th straight for the program to fall to 1-12 and 0-7 in the HCAC, while Bluffton earned their first conference win and improved to 5-9 overall.

TURNING POINT

Bluffton's Connor Martin secured a rebound on a missed Defiance 3-pointer and drew a foul that led to a pair of made free throws on the other to put the Beavers up by six with 10 seconds left. DC hurried the ball up the floor and Will Gehlhausen fought through heavy defensive pressure to sink his sixth trey of the game from the left corner to pull the Jackets within three with just 3.8 seconds to go.

Defiance forced Bluffton to take a timeout followed by a bad pass from the baseline to turn the ball back over to the Yellow Jackets with 2.9 ticks on the clock. DC's Devin Goodwyn inbounded to an open Evan Park in the corner, but his shot clipped off the rim as time expired and Bluffton survived.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Defiance shook off an 8-1 deficit to start the game with an 11-0 on three treys made by Sherod Brooks and Will Gehlhuasen along with a hook in front of the hoop by Evan Park. Landen Swanner sank his first shot following a Beavers timeout to claim the first of two six-point advantages in the first half. Swanner's lone 3-pointer of the contest came moments later to boost the Jackets to a 17-11 lead with 12:01 left in the first half.

The Beavers responded with a lengthy run of their own to regain the lead on a 20-2 spurt starting at the 11:07 mark and ending with a Park layup with 4:19 left in the half. DC's lone make during that stretch was a layup by Jordyn Jury that the sophomore used a delicate spin move to get to the rack.

As time waned in the first half, Gehlhausen and Brooks each made a 3-pointer to trim Bluffton's lead to seven but the Beavers had an answer each time. Swanner came through right before halftime when he finished a layup in traffic and got a bonus free throw to pull DC to a 36-30 deficit at the break.

Bluffton preserved a two-to-three-possession lead for most of the second half. Bluffton opened things up to 10 points on a 3-pointer by William Layfield to boost the score to 60-50, but Brooks hit right back from outside the next trip up the floor. The Beavers split a pair of free throws after a shooting foul by Defiance's Cam Martin, but the Grand Rapids native scored at the rim on the next possession and snagged a defensive rebound as Bluffton missed from outside. Martin's rebound led to a transition 3-pointer by Brooks to pull DC within three.

Following the media timeout at 7:50, Devin Goodwyn, Swanner and Park all scored on consecutive possessions to get within one point but the Beavers answered each time. That tight battle opened back up for Bluffton when Goodwyn was called for a charge at the 5:10 mark. Bluffton scored added a layup off the turnover and converted another score on a fast break due to a bad pass by the Jackets on the perimeter. Swanner stopped the bleeding on that four-point swing with another hoop-and-harm for a 3-point play to trigger the 3:41 media timeout.

Ian Snelling turned into the closer for the Beavers over the last three minutes. The sophomore sank a pair of free throws to extend Bluffton's lead to six points with 3:32 remaining. Moments later, he answered Brook's 3-pointer that made the score 73-72 with a corner triple of his own to extend the lead back to four with 40 seconds on the clock. Both sides traded layups before Bluffton's Connor Martin went to the line with 10 seconds left to set up the dramatic finish.

BRINGING THE STING

• The Yellow Jackets made a season-best 30 field goals, matched a season-high 13 treys and outshot their opponent for the first time this season with a 48 percent grade from the floor. Bluffton finished shooting 46 percent.
• Defiance also had a season-high four players in double figures during the season-high output of 77 points: Sherod Brooks with 19, Will Gehlhausen with 18, Evan Park scored 16 and Landen Swanner tallied 13.
• Sherod Brooks paced the Jackets for the second straight game and set a new career best in scoring with 19. His five 3-pointers and eight rebounds were also career-best figures.
• Will Gehlhausen made six triples to add up to all 18 of his points, his third game in double digits this year. He also secured four rebounds.
• Evan Park's 16 points included a 3-pointer in the second half. He also grabbed a career-best six rebounds.
• Landen Swanner nearly missed the team's first double-double of the campaign with a team-best nine assists to go with his baker's dozen in scoring. The junior wing also tied a season-high five boards.
• Devin Goodwyn set a career-best mark with four assists to complement four points.
• Cam Martin tallied five points during a handful of strong minutes off the bench in the second half.

UP NEXT

The Yellow Jackets wrap up a five-game homestand on Saturday with a 3 p.m. tipoff against Franklin. The women's basketball team will play the Grizzlies as part of the doubleheader action beginning at 1 p.m.

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