Yellow Jackets Sports Weekly Recap (Dec. 19- Dec. 25)

By: Brandon Unverferth

Women’s Basketball: Mon. Dec. 19

Defiance 87 (5-5), Kalamazoo College 42 (0-11)

The Defiance College women’s basketball team welcomed the Kalamazoo Hornets to the Karl H. Weaner Center Monday evening for a non-conference showdown. The starters in this contest included (senior) Nicole Sims, (senior) Lexie Sparks, (junior) McKenzie Cooper, (junior) Kylie Brinkman, and (junior) Cait Good. Thirty-six seconds into the first quarter, Nicole Sims scored the first points of the contest, as she stole the ball from Hornets junior Maddie Coffman and found her way to the rim for a layup. Just fourteen seconds later (9:10 left in the 1st), junior Kaelyn Arlington scored Kalamazoo’s first points of the game as she knocked down an open mid-range jumper (2-2). With 8:44 left in the 1st, junior Sara English knocked down a three-pointer for the Hornets, off an assist from sophomore Laila Vincent, to give Kalamazoo an early three point lead (5-2). The Yellow Jackets quickly answered with a three-pointer of their own, as junior Cait Good splashed home a shot from downtown (8:31 left in the 1st) to tie things up at five apiece. At the midway point of the first quarter, the game was still tied, but this time at nine. Two seconds after the midway point of the opening quarter (4:58 left in the 1st), sophomore Laila Vincent provided the Hornets with the lead once again, as she found her way to the rim for an open layup. Once again, the Kalamazoo lead did not last long, as senior Taylor Steinbrunner connected on an open three-pointer (4:52 left in the 1st) to put the Yellow Jackets ahead 12-11. With 2:14 left in the 1st, junior Sara English splashed home her second three-pointer of the contest (up to this point), and tied the game back up at sixteen. The Yellow Jackets ended the first quarter on a 7-0 scoring run to lead by seven (23-16) going into the second quarter, thanks to a three-pointer by junior Cait Good, a layup by freshman Kalista Friday, and a mid-range jump shot by senior Taylor Steinbrunner. One minute and five seconds into the second quarter (8:55 left), freshman Ali Mowen connected on a shot from downtown, to stretch the lead to eight (26-18). In the next four minutes (4:34 left), the Yellow Jackets went on a 12-0 scoring run which extended the Defiance lead to twenty (38-18). At the half, the Yellow Jackets maintained a twenty point lead of 45-25. Both teams struggled to score in the third quarter, as the first points of the quarter came two minutes and twelve seconds in (7:48 left) as junior Sara English splashed home a three-pointer to cut the Hornets deficit to seventeen (45-28). In the next two minutes (5:52 left in the 3rd), the Yellow Jackets went on a 7-2 scoring run, which helped Defiance grow their largest lead of the game (to this point) at twenty-two (52-30). At the midway point of the third quarter, Defiance maintained a lead of eighteen (52-34). Following a media timeout, junior McKenzie Cooper connected on an open three-pointer, thanks to an assist from sophomore Kaitlin Paul. Cooper’s basket began what would lead to a 13-0 scoring run, which allowed the Yellow Jackets to take full control of this game. The scoring run allowed Defiance to take a thirty-one point lead (65-34) with 1:40 left in the third quarter. To end the third quarter, the Yellow Jackets had a lead of twenty-six (65-39). Freshman Zadria King scored the first points of the fourth quarter for either team, as she connected on a pair of free-throws following a foul by junior Kaelyn Arlington for Kalamazoo. With 6:52 left to play, sophomore Teagan Hunt capitalized off an open shot opportunity from downtown, to punch in her first points of the contest (72-41). Thirty-eight seconds later (6:14 left), junior Kylie Brinkman connected on a three-pointer from the right wing, to add to the Defiance three-point shooting barrage. In the end, the Yellow Jackets took the victory 87-42. Senior Lexie Sparks was the lone double-digit scorer for Defiance, as she finished with 14. The Hornets finished with a duo of players in double-digits including juniors Sara English (15) and Kaelyn Arlington (10). The Yellow Jackets shot an impressive 50% (33-66) from the field, while Kalamazoo shot 23.3% (14-60). Defiance hit eleven three-pointers in the contest, off twenty-nine attempts (37.9%), compared to the Hornets six of twenty (30%). Defiance shot 83.3% (10-12) from the free-throw line, while Kalamazoo shot 61.5% (8-13) from the charity stripe. The Hornets turned the ball over twenty times, which combined with their low shooting percentage, had a major impact on the game result. The Yellow Jackets were able to score twenty-eight points off Kalamazoo’s 20 turnovers. The bench for Defiance come in full force Monday evening, as they dominated the bench points spread over the Hornets 47-7. The Yellow Jackets out-rebounded Kalamazoo 46-36, including a 38-26 defensive rebound advantage.

When senior Nicole Sims was asked by The Defender about her thoughts following Monday’s victory over Kalamazoo, she expressed, “We had momentum going into this game with three wins in a row. We are finally playing well, as we are starting to figure out how to use all of our team weapons effectively to win. The significant improvement in rebounding has made the difference in separating wins from losses and we must continue this fight on the boards after Christmas break, in order to reach our full potential.“

Men’s Basketball: Mon. Dec. 19 and Wed. Dec. 21

12/19: Defiance 75 (4-5), Mount St. Vincent College 72 (3-7)

The Yellow Jackets men’s basketball team traveled to Riverdale, New York, Monday afternoon to take on the Mount St. Vincent Dolphins in non-conference action. The starters in this contest included (senior) Kiewaun Graham, (senior) Te Jones, (senior) Dejsani Beamon, (senior) Jerome Johnson, and (junior) Easton Lewis. Mount St. Vincent junior Joshua Cabezudo was the first player to score in this contest, as he scored off an open layup fifteen seconds into the matchup. With 18:05 left in the 1st half, Cabezudo found a mismatch in the Yellow Jackets defense, to score another layup giving the Dolphins a quick 4-0 lead. Two minutes and thirty-six seconds into the game (17-24 left in the 1st), sophomore Jake Segulin finally put Defiance on the scoreboard as he was able to connect on a fast break layup (4-2). The Dolphins turned the ball over a second time just eight seconds following Segulin’s bucket, and this time (another sophomore) Landen Swanner knocked down a three-point jumper to give the Yellow Jackets a 5-4 advantage. With 15:21 left in the 1st half, senior Aaron Darab for Mount St. Vincent scored a three-pointer of his own (to give the Dolphins the lead back) as he knocked one down from the left wing (7-5). The Yellow Jackets and Dolphins swapped the lead numerous times throughout the next three minutes, but Defiance was able to maintain a lead of five (16-11) at the midway point of the first half. In the next five and a half minutes (4:33 left in the first), the Dolphins would go on a 19-5 scoring run, to stretch out to a 28-22 lead. Mount St. Vincent led by as much as seven (32-25) in the late stages of the first half, before senior Jerome Johnson was able to connect on a buzzer beater from three-point range, to cut the Yellow Jackets deficit to four (32-28) into the halftime break. Sixteen seconds into the second half, senior Kiewaun Graham continued the late first half momentum swing, as he splashed home a deep three-pointer from the right wing. Thirty-one seconds later (19:13 left), Graham was fouled by Dolphins senior Aaron Darab. Graham was able to knock down both free-throws, and give Defiance their first lead since the midway point of the first half (33-32). The Yellow Jackets lead did not last line however, as Darab for Mount St. Vincent connected on another three-pointer from the left wing, to return the lead to the Dolphins (35-33). Twenty-eight seconds later (18:32 left), Darab splashed home another three-pointer from the left wing (his third) to stretch the lead back to five (38-33). Thirty seconds later (18:02 left), freshman Jordyn Jury managed to fight off the Dolphins defensive pressure to score a basket from three-point range, to cut the Defiance deficit back to two (38-36). In the next two minutes, Mount St. Vincent went on a 7-0 scoring run thanks to a pair of free-throws and a jumper from junior Joshua Cabezudo and a three-pointer from senior Aaron Darab (45-36). At the midway point of the second half, the Yellow Jackets had regained the lead once again following a miraculous 19-5 scoring run (55-50). The Dolphins fought back to retake the lead 56-55 with 8:38 left in the contest, which helped setup an incredible finish. Defiance and Mount St. Vincent swapped the lead numerous times in the final eight minutes of the contest, but in the end, the Yellow Jackets defense would play the deciding factor in the outcome of the game. Following a made free-throw from senior Jerome Johnson, Defiance found themselves up three (75-72) with twelve seconds left to play. The Dolphins struggled to find much separation from Defiance on the final possession, but following an offensive rebound from sophomore Adrian Rrac, Mount St. Vincent had a decent look from senior Aaron Darab from three-point range, but thankfully for Defiance the basket did not fall. The Yellow Jackets rebounded the ball as time expired, and therefore took the victory 75-72. Defiance finished with four players in double-digit scoring including senior Kiewaun Graham (16), senior Jerome Johnson (15), senior Te Jones (12), and junior Easton Lewis (12). The Dolphins finished with two players in double-digits including junior Joshua Cabezudo (25), and senior Aaron Darab (18). The game was tied seven different times, and the two squads swapped the lead fifteen times. Mount St. Vincent shot 43.9% (25-57) from the field, while Defiance shot 39.7% (23-58). From three-point range the Yellow Jackets shot 36.7% (11-30), compared to Mount St. Vincent’s 31.3% (5-16). Both teams shot well from the charity stripe, as Defiance shot 78.3% (18-23), while the Dolphins shot 77.3% (17-22). Mount St. Vincent out-rebounded the Yellow Jackets 40-32, including an 11-8 offensive rebound advantage. The Yellow Jackets bench dominated the Mount St. Vincent bench, as they outscored them 46-18.

When senior Grant Johnson was asked by The Defender about his thoughts following Monday’s victory over Mount St. Vincent, he expressed, “It was a great team win for us this afternoon. I thought we shared the ball very well and it proves true with the box score. This was not the prettiest game, but guys made plays when it counted and meant the most.“

12/21: (OT) Defiance 70 (5-5), Immaculata University 69 (3-9)

The Defiance College men’s basketball team traveled to Immaculata, Pennsylvania, Wednesday afternoon for a non-conference showdown against the Immaculata Mighty Macs. The starters in this contest included (senior) Marell Jordan, (senior) Te Jones, (senior) Dejsani Beamon, (junior) Easton Lewis, and (sophomore) Landen Swanner. Nine seconds into the contest, sophomore Landen Swanner got the scoring started for the Yellow Jackets as he capitalized off an open mid-range jumper (2-0). Forty-seven seconds later (19:04 left in the 1st), junior Gregory Vlassopoulos for the Mighty Macs tied things up at two a piece, as he connected on an open layup opportunity. With 18:25 left and 17:43 left in the 1st half, senior Tyler Tillery scored off a pair of wide open layups, to give Immaculata an early 6-2 lead. The Mighty Macs 4-0 scoring run did not end there, as a minute later (16:43 left), junior Gregory Vlassopoulos splashed home a three-pointer from the left wing off an assist from sophomore John Flood, to stretch Immaculata’s lead to seven (9-2). Starting at the six minute and eighteen second mark of the 1st half (13:42 left) and concluding at the seven minute and twenty-nine second mark (12:31 left), the Yellow Jackets went on a 6-0 scoring run of their own to cut the deficit back to one (9-8). The 6-0 scoring run saw baskets from a trio of players including a (senior) Te Jones short-range jump shot, (senior) Dejsani Beamon driving layup, and a (senior) Kiewaun Graham layup. At the midway point of the first half, Defiance found themselves down by three, 16-13. With 5:24 left in the first half, the Might Macs began would end up becoming a quick 7-3 Immaculata scoring advantage within the next two minutes of the contest. At the fourteen minute and thirty-six second mark of the 1st half, senior Tyler Tillery found an open lane to the rim for a layup, and he followed that up with a made free throw at the line. Sophomore Landen Swanner for Defiance interrupted the 3-0 scoring run for Immaculata with a three-pointer from the right wing (5:05 left in the 1st). Twenty-five seconds after Swanner’s shot from downtown (4:40 left in the 1st) junior Steven Dao for the Mighty Macs came off a strong screen made by junior Gregory Vlassopoulos, to capitalize on an open mid-range jumper (25-20). To conclude the 7-3 Immaculata scoring run, senior Tim Schultice splashed home a deep three-pointer from the top of the key (3:22 left in the 1st), off an assist from junior Gregory Vlassopoulos, to extend the Mighty Macs lead back to seven (27-20). Twenty seconds following Schultice’s three-pointer (3:02 left in the 1st), senior Marell Jordan connected on a three-pointer of his own, to cut the Yellow Jackets deficit back to four (27-23). With 1:20 left until halftime, freshman Evan Park for Defiance caught an offensive rebound off a (senior) Marell Jordan missed free-throw, and finished the play with a strong take to the rim, to cut the Yellow Jackets deficit even further, at two (27-25). Thirteen seconds later (1:07 left in the 1st), junior Gregory Vlassopoulos scored the final basket of the first half (for either team) as he splashed home yet another shot from downtown, off an assist from sophomore John Flood (30-25). Forty-four seconds into the second half, sophomore Landen Swanner drove coast-to-coast to the rim, to score the Yellow Jackets first points of the final twenty minutes (32-27). The Mighty Macs responded off Swanner’s basket with a 6-0 scoring run, thanks to a (sophomore) John Proctor layup and free throw, (junior) Gregory Vlassopoulos free throw, and (senior) Tim Schultice  layup (38-27). Beginning at the five minute and forty-seven second mark (14:13 left in the 1st), the Yellow Jackets began a scoring run of their own, as Defiance would go on a massive 12-0 scoring run over the next two and half minutes, to tie the game at 42 a piece with 11:46 left to play. Twenty-three seconds following Jordan’s layup to tie the game (11:23 left), junior Brandon Perez returned the lead back to the Mighty Macs, as he connected on an open layup off an assist from senior Keith Farmer (44-42). With 9:33 left, senior Te Jones splashed home a three-pointer from the left wing, which cut the Immaculata lead back to one (46-45). Twenty-three seconds later, junior Brandon Perez responded off the Jones three-pointer with a driving layup of his own, to return the lead back to three for the Mighty Macs (48-45). With 7:28 left, junior Easton Lewis provided the Yellow Jackets with their first lead of the second half, as he capitalized on an open lane to the basket (49-48). Immaculata quickly returned to the lead, however, as senior Tyler Tillery splashed home a mid-range jumper with 6:34 left to play, to give the Mighty Macs a 50-49 advantage. Nineteen seconds later (6:15 left), senior Marell Jordan was fouled by senior Tim Schultice on a jump shot, which put Jordan to the free-throw line for a pair. Jordan was able to connect on the first of two free-throw attempts, to tie things up at 50. With 5:24 left, senior Tyler Tillery once again returned the lead back to Immaculata, as he connected on a pair of free-throws following a foul by freshman Cole Wojciechowski (52-50). The Mighty Macs were able to extend the lead to five, 55-50, before senior Kiewaun Graham connected on an open layup off an assist from senior Dejsani Beamon, which cut the Defiance deficit to three (55-52) with 3:19 left to play. Senior Keith Farmer splashed home a mid-range jumper with 2:48 left to play for the Mighty Macs, which extended the Immaculata lead back to five (57-52). With 1:17 left, senior Jerome Johnson knocked down a huge three-pointer from the left wing, which cut the Defiance deficit back to two (57-55). Sixteen seconds later (1:01 left), senior Jabryis Heidelburg stole the ball from senior Keith Farmer, and made his way to the rim for an open layup, to tie the game at 57 with fifty-five seconds left to play. The Yellow Jackets were able to force a Might Macs miss with 0:28 left in the game, which allowed Defiance to hold for the final possession. Senior Marell Jordan put up a shot with three seconds left to play, but unfortunately it did not fall. Senior Tim Schultice picked up the defensive rebound for Immaculata, but time expired before he was able to put up a shot, which sent us to overtime. Twenty-five seconds into overtime, senior Jerome Johnson splashed home his second three pointer of the contest, allowing the Yellow Jackets to grab an early overtime lead of 60-57. Moments later (3:53 left), following a layup from sophomore John Flood, senior Jerome Johnson splashed home his third three-pointer of the contest (his second in overtime), to stretch the Defiance lead to four (63-59). The Mighty Macs responded by going on a 4-0 scoring run in the next two minutes (1:56 left), thanks to a pair of free-throws from (sophomore) John Flood and a (junior) Steven Dao hook shot, to tie the game at 63. Defiance and Immaculata traded numerous buckets in the final two minutes of overtime, but with just two seconds remaining senior Marell Jordan found sophomore Landen Swanner for what would be the dagger, as Swanner scored the game winning layup to give Defiance the impressive victory 70-69. The Yellow Jackets finished with a trio of players in double-digit scoring including senior Marell Jordan (15), senior Te Jones (13), and sophomore Landen Swanner (11). Immaculata also finished with a trio of players in double-digits including junior Gregory Vlassopoulos (14), sophomore John Proctor (14), and senior Tyler Tillery (13). The Mighty Macs shot 44.1% (26-59) from the field, while Defiance shot 40.3% (27-67). The Yellow Jackets hit nine three pointers compared to Immaculata’s three. The Mighty Macs shot an impressive 87.5% (14-16) from the charity stripe, while Defiance struggled from the free-throw line shooting just 50% (7-14). The Yellow Jackets out-rebounded the Mighty Macs 35-32, including a 12-3 offensive rebound advantage. The game was tied nine times, with eight different lead changes. Immaculata had the lead for 80% (35:59) of the contest, compared to the Yellow Jackets 10.6% (4:45). Defiance had 15 turnovers in the contest, and that led to 14 Might Macs points. Immaculata turned the ball over 12 times, which led to eight Yellow Jackets points. Defiance dominated the bench points category 39-16.

Home

Saturday, Dec. 31

Women’s Basketball (5-5) vs Mount St. Joseph University (3-5)

Location: Karl H. Weaner Center

(2:00 pm)

Away

Saturday, Dec. 31

Men’s Basketball (5-5) at Mount St. Joseph University (2-9)

(3:00 pm)