Yellow Jackets end season with Senior Night loss to Bluffton

DEFIANCE, Ohio – A first-half drought coupled by lengthy scoring runs in the first and second half by the Bluffton Beavers spoiled the Defiance Yellow Jackets' Senior Night with a 63-42 loss at the Weaner Center on Friday.

The Yellow Jackets (7-18, 2-16 HCAC) were without Marell Jordan for the second game in a row and shot just 27 percent for the game, including 6-for-30 from 3-point range. The Beavers (6-19, 4-14 HCAC) went 42 percent from the floor to win the final game for head coach Guy Neal to conclude 34 years of leading the program.

Despite a tough start shooting the ball, Defiance held a slim 6-4 lead six minutes into the game. Bluffton's Connor Martin tied the contest on a made layup and took back the lead when he knocked down the ensuing free throw due to a DC foul on the made bucket. That play started a 13-0 run by the Beavers while DC missed 10 straight shots. Kiewaun Graham ended Defiance's scoreless streak after seven minutes with a layup at 7:18 in the first. 

Landen Swanner fueled the Jackets to an 11-9 finish to the half on a pair of triples and a jumper from the elbow. His eight points over the final six minutes of the half brought Defiance within single digits before halftime.

Jerome Johnson and Jabryis Heidelburg each hit from outside early in the second half to keep the Jackets within striking distance through the first media timeout. Senior Grant Johnson made the gym roar when he canned a left-corner triple at the 14:18 mark to bring the Yellow Jackets within three points to cap an 8-0 run.

Swanner provided another spark with his third 3-pointer of the night with 7:53 left in the game and drew DC back to within five points. That was as close as Defiance could claw back. From that point, Bluffton freshman Brady Wheeler went to work to extinguish the comeback. 

Wheeler knocked down a jumper on the other end and started to attack the rim in the closing minutes. He assisted the first of two straight hoops by Miguel Ringer and drew four fouls over his final four minutes on the court and went 5-for-8 at the stripe over that stretch. The Beavers continued to pull away and finished on a 21-6 run while DC finished 2-for-9 from the field.

Wheeler accounted for seven of Bluffton's last 20 points and totaled 14 for the night. Ringer led the Beavers with 15 points. Martin feasted on Defiance misses and secured 17 rebounds. Overall, DC's 40 missed shots led to a 47-31 rebounding margin controlled by Bluffton.

Defiance's seniors saw a lot of action as the combination of Johnson, Johnson, Te Jones, Jabryis Heidelburg and Easton Lewis started the game. Grant Johnson played a career-high 22 minutes and his 3-pointer was the first make from downtown in his career to account for his first points since his freshman season against Heidelberg. Lewis pounded the glass for Defiance and led that starting group with six rebounds and scored four points before he fouled out late in the game. Heidelberg led the seniors with 10 points while Jones added eight more with four assists. Off the bench, Kiewaun Graham scored three with four rebounds while Dejsani Beamon went scoreless but swiped one steal and recorded a rebound. Both seniors played 15 minutes for the Jackets. Swanner led the way with 11 points and nine rebounds for Defiance.

The season comes to a close for both Defiance and Bluffton as each failed to qualify for the HCAC Tournament. The top six teams in the conference begin tournament play on Sunday afternoon.

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