Sudhoff posts season-high 19 point in loss to Madonna

DEFIANCE, Ohio – The Defiance College Yellow Jackets fell to the Madonna Crusaders, 92-69, Wednesday night in the Karl H. Weaner Center, marking their third-consecutive conference loss. 

The Yellow Jackets (3-7, 1-4 WHAC) did what they could to keep it close with the Crusaders (3-6, 1-3 WHAC) but a game of runs tipped towards the defending regular-season conference champs, who claimed their first league win of the year.

The game started out hot with both teams trading shots back and forth, but Madonna built up an early lead by making its first three 3s of the game. The Yellow Jackets managed to battle and keep it close for 13 minutes of the game, which featured a 24-22 tally by way of solid defense and making shots to get back into the game after trailing by as many as eight.

THE TURNING POINT 
With just under seven minutes to play in the first half, the Crusaders began to break the game open by scoring six unanswered in just over a minute of play, a quick burst that put them up by 10 points and swung the momentum back their way. As the clock ticked down in the first half Madonna again went on a 9-2 run to end the half and held the Yellow Jackets to just seven points over the last 8:27 of the half. With this the Crusaders carried a 14-point lead into the half and opened the second red-hot before, ultimately running away with the game. 

INSIDE THE NUMBERS 

• Carter Sudhoff was efficient down low as he went 9-of-12 from the field and scored a team and career-high 19 points. He also pulled in a team-high seven rebounds 
• The Yellow Jackets struggled from deep as they went 5-of-21 for 24 percent.
• Overall, Defiance matched a season-high with 28 made field goals and posted a solid second half shooting the ball at 54 percent. For the game, DC hit 44 percent of their shots while Madonna was 54 percent from the floor.
• Defiance also won the turnover margin for the second time this year.
• The Jackets broke a two-game slump of scoring 55 points or fewer and continue to put up stronger offensive numbers at home.
• Dre'Sean Roberts made his first conference start of the year, logging four points and two assists in 13 minutes of play.
• Donovan Stone dropped 11 points off the bench as he was a spark plug for the Yellow Jackets. 
• Matthew MacLellan was effective for the Crusaders, dropping 22 on 8-for-1111 shooting, making two from deep and playing solid defense with two steals and a block.
• Wednesday's meeting was the first matchup between the two programs since 2009, and it was the first loss for Defiance against the Crusaders in now four total contests.

UP NEXT 

The Yellow Jackets travel to Toledo on Saturday for an exhibition against the Rockets. Tipoff at Savage Arena is scheduled for 2 p.m. and available to stream on ESPN+. 

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