Yellow Jackets Sports Weekly Recap (Feb. 6- Feb. 12)

By: Brandon Unverferth

Photography: Hanna Young

Women’s Basketball: Mon. Feb. 6 and Wed. Feb. 8

2/6: Albion College 70 (15-7), Defiance 57 (7-15)

The Defiance College women’s basketball team traveled to Albion, Michigan, Monday evening for a non-conference showdown against the Albion Britons. The starters in this contest included (graduate) Taylor Day, (senior) Taylor Steinbrunner, (senior) Nicole Sims, (senior) Lexie Sparks, and (junior) Kylie Brinkman. Twelve seconds into the contest (9:48 left in the 1st), junior Daniah Beavers put up the first points of the game as she was able to dice her way through the Defiance defense for the wide open layup (2-0). Just fifteen seconds later though (9:33 left in the 1st), senior Taylor Steinbrunner splashed home a three-pointer from the left wing, which provided the Yellow Jackets with their first lead of the contest 3-2. With 8:55 left in the opening quarter, junior Lolo Reed for the Britons would return the lead back into Albion’s favor as she scored via a contested layup (4-3). The Britons would then stretch out to a 10-5 advantage with 6:18 left in the first quarter, as graduate Cierra Cole, junior Riley Davis, and junior Daniah Beavers, each scored on close range jumpers. Just past the midway point of the opening quarter (4:30 left in the 1st), senior Becca Ross extended the Britons lead to eight (15-7) after she connected on a shot from downtown and a pair of free-throws. With 3:34 left in the first quarter, senior Elena Welker added to the now 8-0 scoring run for Albion, as she splashed home a corner three ball (18-7). Both teams would go “cold” for the next two minutes, until graduate Cierra Cole would build the Albion scoring run to 11-0 (1:32 left in the 1st), as she splashed home a left corner three-ball. The incredible run would come to an end with fifty-seven seconds left in the opening quarter, as freshman Kalista Friday made a pair of shots from the charity stripe following a foul by sophomore Emma Cooke (21-9). With 9:07 left in the second quarter, junior Riley Davis extended the Britons lead to fourteen (27-13) as she added her name to the Britons “three-point party” by converting on a triple from the right wing. Nearly a minute and a half later (7:35 left in the 2nd), Davis splashed home yet another three-pointer, but this time from the left wing, which pushed the Albion lead to seventeen (30-13). With 5:36 left in the second quarter, senior Becca Ross canned a three-pointer, to make it now three straight triples for the Britons and their lead was up to twenty (33-13). The Yellow Jackets would respond by putting points up on the board in the ensuing minutes, as they went on a 6-2 scoring run in the next two minutes (3:04 left in the 2nd), to cut the deficit to sixteen (35-19). Albion would end the final three minutes of the first half on a 5-4 scoring run, as they took a 40-23 lead into the locker room. At the half, the Britons were shooting an incredible 60% (6-10) from three-point range and 51.7% (15-29) from the field overall. Five Yellow Jackets scored in the first half including graduate Taylor Day (6), senior Taylor Steinbrunner (6), freshman Kalista Friday (5), senior Lauren Criblez (4), and senior Nicole Sims (2). Forty-four seconds into the third quarter (9:16 left in the 3rd), junior Lolo Reed put up the first points of the second half for Albion as she converted on a driving layup (42-23). The Britons would start the second half on a 6-0 scoring run through the first three minutes of the third quarter (6:53 left in the 3rd), until junior Cait Good would connect on a pull-up jumper from atop the arc (6:48 left in the 3rd) to put the Yellow Jackets back on the board (46-26). Exactly one minute later (5:48 left in the 3rd), Good this time splashed home a triple from the left wing off an assist from senior Nicole Sims, which cut the Defiance deficit to seventeen (46-29). Junior McKenzie Cooper would put in a layup with 4:50 left in the third quarter, to now make it a 7-0 scoring run for the Yellow Jackets and a fifteen-point affair (46-31). The Defiance run would continue to 13-3 with 3:41 left in the third quarter, as both junior Cait Good and junior McKenzie Cooper buried deep triples from the left wing, which cut the deficit to just a dozen (49-37). Albion would extend their lead back to fourteen (51-37) with 2:57 left in the third quarter, as freshman Erin Young made a layup off an assist from graduate Cierra Cole. Both teams would trade baskets in the final 2:45 of the third quarter, as the Britons found themselves up by sixteen (55-39) to start the fourth. Twelve seconds into the fourth quarter (9:48 left), junior Daniah Beavers scored her eighth point of the contest, as she managed to find separation in the Defiance defense for an open layup (57-39). Nearly a minute later (8:56 left), Beavers would score her ninth point, as this time she converted on a shot from the charity stripe following a foul by junior Cait Good (58-39). With 7:24 left to play, freshman Kalista Friday would score the Yellow Jackets first fourth-quarter points, as she fought her way past her defender for the layup (60-41). Nearly a minute and a half later (6:07 left), junior Cait Good cut the Britons lead to twenty (64-44), as she splashed home a triple from the left wing off an assist from senior Nicole Sims. With 4:30 left to play, Defiance cut the deficit down to sixteen (67-51), as this time, freshman Kalista Friday connected on a shot from downtown. Just twenty-four seconds later, though (4:06 left), graduate Cierra Cole pushed the Albion lead right back to nineteen (70-51) as she connected on a triple of her own from the right corner. With 2:33 left, freshman Kalista Friday responded to Cole’s triple by splashing home yet another three-pointer, this time from the left wing (70-54). Sophomore Teagan Hunt scored the final three points of the contest for either team, as she knocked down a triple with thirty-nine seconds left. In the end, Albion picked up the victory 70-57. The Britons finished with five players in double-figures, including graduate Cierra Cole (14), junior Lolo Reed (12), junior Riley Davis (11), senior Becca Ross (11), and junior Daniah Beavers (10). The Yellow Jackets finished with two players in double-figures including freshman Kalista Friday with 15 points and junior Cait Good with 12. Albion shot 48.1% (26-54) from the field, while Defiance shot 30.5% (18-59). The Britons shot 56.3% (9-16) from three-point range, while the Yellow Jackets shot 38.5% (10-26). Defiance shot well from the free-throw line as they shot 78.6% (11-14), compared to Albion’s 56.3% (9-16). The Yellow Jackets out-rebounded the Britons 38-35, including a 14-7 offensive rebound advantage. Defiance’s bench dominated Albion’s bench 41-16.

2/8: Anderson University 88 (15-7), Defiance 81 (7-16)

The Yellow Jackets women’s basketball team welcomed the Anderson Ravens to the Karl H. Weaner Center Wednesday evening for an HCAC conference matchup. The starters in this contest included (graduate) Taylor Day, (senior) Taylor Steinbrunner, (senior) Nicole Sims, (senior) Lexie Sparks, and (freshman) Kalista Friday. Fifty seconds into the contest (9:10 left in the 1st), senior Taylor Steinbrunner scored the first points of the game for either team, as she split a pair of free-throws at the charity stripe following a foul by senior Jade Shipley (1-0). Nine seconds later (9:01 left in the 1st), graduate Lexi Dellinger put the Ravens on the scoreboard, as she managed to fight her way past the Defiance defense for the layup (2-1). With 8:36 left in the opening quarter, freshman Grace Marshall buried home a triple from the left wing, which put the Ravens up four early (5-1). The Yellow Jackets would tie the game at five a piece with 6:31 left in the first quarter, after graduate Taylor Day and freshman Kalista Friday connected on a pair of layups. Over the course of the next four minutes, Anderson went on a 14-4 scoring run, which put them up by ten (19-9). Both teams went cold for the next minute and a half (1:50 left in the 1st), until senior Lauren Criblez punched in a mid-range jump shot (19-11). Twenty-two seconds later (1:28 left in the 1st), junior Cait Good cut the deficit to five (19-14) as she splashed home a triple from the right wing. The 5-0 Yellow Jacket scoring run would come to end with fifty-nine seconds left in the opening quarter, as sophomore Brynn Beard drove to the rim for a layup (21-14). Beard’s basket created some momentum for the Ravens, as they finished on a 5-1 scoring run to take a nine point lead (24-15) at the end of the first quarter. Twenty-one seconds into the second quarter (9:39 left in the 2nd), senior Lauren Criblez connected this time via a layup, as she scored off an assist from senior Taylor Steinbrunner (24-17). Junior Cait Good would cut the Defiance deficit to five (24-19) once again with 8:43 left in the second quarter, as she scored a contested layup. Freshman Jada Stansberry would miss a pair of free throws near the three-minute mark of the second quarter (7:36 left in the 2nd), which provided Defiance with a chance to cut the deficit to within one possession, but junior Kylie Brinkman was unable to connect on an open three from the corner. With 6:19 left in the second quarter, senior Taylor Steinbrunner trimmed the deficit to just four (27-23), as she was able to convert on an open layup. The Ravens would outscore the Yellow Jackets 15-9 over the final six minutes of the first half, as Anderson found themselves up by ten (42-32) into the halftime break. Graduate Lexi Dellinger led all scorers at the half with 17 points. Eight seconds into the third quarter (9:52 left in the 3rd), graduate Lexi Dellinger continued her hot shooting performance as she managed to fight her way through contact for the old-fashioned three-point play, as junior Kylie Brinkman was called on the defensive foul (45-32). Twenty-four seconds later (9:28 left in the 3rd), Dellinger would be sent to the free-throw line once again, as this time junior McKenzie Cooper was called on the shooting foul. Graduate Lexi Dellinger would end up splitting the pair of free-throws at the line (46-32). With 8:58 left in the third quarter, junior McKenzie Cooper scored the Yellow Jackets first points of the second half, as she managed to splash home a mid-range jumper (46-34). In the ensuing next two minutes (6:42 left in the 3rd), the Ravens went on a 8-2 scoring run, which extended their lead to eighteen (54-36). The Yellow Jackets would follow that up with a 13-0 scoring run of their own over the next three minutes (3:42 left in the 3rd), as Defiance suddenly found themselves down by just five (54-49). With 3:02 left in the third quarter, graduate Lexi Dellinger would end the unbelievable Defiance scoring run, as she managed to fight her way inside for the layup (56-49). Both teams would trade baskets in the remaining three minutes of the third quarter, as Anderson led by eight (60-52) heading into the final ten minutes of play. Forty-five seconds into the fourth quarter (9:15 left), junior Makynlee Taylor extended the Ravens lead back to double-digits at ten (62-52), as she capitalized off an open lane to the rim for a layup. With 8:58 left, freshman Mackenzie Toliver stretched the Anderson advantage even further to thirteen (65-52) as she splashed home a triple from the left wing. Nearly a minute and a half later (7:15 left), Toliver buried another triple, this time from the right wing, which extended the lead to sixteen (68-52). Defiance would score their first points of the fourth quarter with 7:02 left to play, as graduate Taylor Day splashed home a pair of free-throws from the charity stripe following a foul by freshman Bella Larrison (68-54). The Yellow Jackets would outscore the Ravens 27-20 in the final seven minutes of play, but that was not enough to cut the deficit. Anderson picked up the victory 88-81. The Ravens finished with a trio of players in double-figures including graduate Lexi Dellinger who scored the game-high of 33 points, senior Jade Shipley scored 10, and junior Makynlee Taylor also scored 10. The Yellow Jackets finished with two players in double-figures including graduate Taylor Day (22) and senior Taylor Steinbrunner (17). Anderson shot 54.8% (34-62) from the field, while Defiance shot 40% (30-75). The Ravens hit 13 threes in this contest on twenty-eight attempts (46.4%), while the Yellow Jackets were only able to make 4 on twenty-nine attempts (13.8%). Defiance shot 73.9% (17-23) from the free-throw line, while Anderson shot 41.2% (7-17) from the charity stripe. The Yellow Jackets out-rebounded the Ravens 43-38, including a 15-5 offensive rebound advantage. Anderson had a slight advantage in the points in the paint category 42-38.

Men’s Basketball: Wed. Feb. 8 and Sat. Feb. 11

2/8: Anderson University 102 (14-8), Defiance 84 (6-16)

The Yellow Jackets men’s basketball team traveled to Anderson, Indiana, Wednesday evening for an HCAC conference showdown against the Anderson Ravens. The starters in this contest included (senior) Marell Jordan, (senior) Te Jones, (sophomore) Landen Swanner, (freshman) Cole Wojciechowski, and (freshman) Jakob Trevino. Twenty-six seconds into the contest (19:34 left in the 1st), junior Jordan Gadis scored the first points of the game for either team, as he splashed home a triple from the right wing to (3-0). Gadis’s triple would kickstart a 12-0 Ravens scoring run, which took place over the course of the first three minutes of the game. The Yellow Jackets first basket would come with 16:59 left in the first half, as freshman Jakob Trevino splashed home a triple from the left wing (12-3). Defiance would cut the deficit to ten (20-10) with 12:34 left in the opening half, as senior Marell Jordan connected on an open layup. Both teams would trade baskets over the course of the next four minutes, as the Yellow Jackets still found themselves down by ten (31-21) with 8:55 left in the first half. Following Jordan’s layup, both teams went “cold” over the next two minutes (6:32 left in the 1st), until sophomore Gavin Dowling connected on a pair of free-throws at the line, as he was fouled by senior Marell Jordan (33-21). The Ravens momentum would continue over the course of the next five minutes, as Anderson outscored Defiance 15-9 to take an eighteen point lead (48-30) with 1:40 left until the half. The Yellow Jackets would trim the deficit down to fourteen (49-35) with just thirty seconds left in the opening half, but the quick Defiance run would not last long. The Ravens were able to score four points in the final thirty seconds of the first half, as freshman Elijah Mattingly scored off an offensive rebound and junior Camden Smith splashed home a pair of free-throws following a Yellow Jacket foul by senior Te Jones as time expired. All of this first-half craziness, resulted in an Anderson eighteen point lead (53-35) into the halftime break. Sophomore Landen Swanner led all scorers at the half with 14 points. Twenty-four seconds into the second half (19:36 left), freshman Cole Wojciechowski put up Defiance’s first points of the second half, as he managed to connect on a mid-range jump shot (53-37). With 17:22 left, the Yellow Jackets now found themselves down by twenty (59-39), as Anderson sophomore Gavin Dowling managed to find separation in the Defiance defense for the easy layup. The Ravens would outscore the Yellow Jackets 30-23 over the next ten minutes of play (7:22 left), as Anderson had this game “all but wrapped up” with a twenty-seven point lead (89-62). Defiance would score six straight unanswered points over the course of the next two and a half minutes (4:52 left), but they yet still found themselves down by twenty-one (89-68). The lowest the Yellow Jackets would trim the deficit down to would be seventeen (96-79) with 3:02 left, thanks to a (freshman) Evan Park triple. Defiance would lose this conference matchup by a final score of 102-84. Anderson finished with four players in double-figures including sophomore Gavin Dowling (21), junior Camden Smith (15), freshman Bryson Huckeby (13), and sophomore Tate Ivanyo (13). Defiance finished with a trio of players in double-figures including sophomore Landen Swanner (22), freshman Evan Park (14), and senior Marell Jordan (12). The Ravens shot 59.1% (39-66) from the field, while the Yellow Jackets shot 54.7% (35-64). Defiance shot well from three-point range as they shot 61.5% (8-13), compared to Anderson’s 38.7% (12-31). Both teams shot an identical 66.7% (DC- 6 of 9, AU- 12 of 18) from the free-throw line. The Ravens out-rebounded the Yellow Jackets 37-22. The points in the paint category made a huge difference in the outcome of this game, as Anderson outscored Defiance 54-40 in this category.

When senior Grant Johnson was asked by The Defender about his thoughts following Wednesday’s loss at Anderson, he expressed, “I thought we did a lot of things well offensively tonight, but our defense definitely needs to improve. I think if we pick up our defensive effort on Saturday at Rose-Hulman, then we will be in good shape to pick up the W.“

2/11: Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology 85 (14-9), Defiance 56 (6-17)

The Defiance College men’s basketball team traveled to Terre Haute, Indiana, Saturday afternoon to take on the Rose-Hulman Fightin’ Engineers in HCAC conference play. The starters in this contest included (senior) Marell Jordan, (senior) Te Jones, (sophomore) Landen Swanner, (freshman) Cole Wojciechowski, and (freshman) Jakob Trevino. Thirty seconds into the contest (19:30 left in the 1st), junior Bradley Harden scored the first points of the game for the Fightin’ Engineers as he converted on a mid-range jump shot (2-0). With 18:36 left in the first half, freshman Cole Wojciechowski scored the Yellow Jackets first points of the game, as he was able to fight his way past the Rose-Hulman defense for the layup off an assist from senior Marell Jordan (3-2). Both teams traded baskets early on in the contest, as Defiance held leads of 6-5 and 8-7, before the Yellow Jackets went scoreless for six minutes (12:30-6:30 left). During the six minute slump for Defiance, the Fightin’ Engineers would capitalize as they scored 17 straight points to take an eighteen point lead (27-9) with 6:53 left in the first half. Freshman Jakob Trevino would end the Yellow Jackets drought as he was able to splash home a triple with 6:31 left until the half (27-12). Down by as many as 19 in the first half, the Yellow Jackets made up some ground over the last five minutes of the half with the help of eight points by sophomore Jake Segulin. Defiance found themselves down by fifteen (40-25) going into the halftime break. Both teams shot 40% over the first 20 minutes of play, but the difference was six more Defiance turnovers and a minus-10 margin in rebounding, which subsequently gave the Fightin’ Engineers 15 more opportunities to build up a lead. In the first few moments of the second half, Rose-Hulman’s momentum continued to strike as they went on a quick 7-0 scoring run in the opening minute and ten seconds, which stretched the Fightin’ Engineers advantage to twenty-two (47-25). The Rose-Hulman lead continued to grow as the home squad hit 58% of their second-half shots. Defiance for most of the game played without senior Marell Jordan, and this resulted in a few other guys having to step-up, including freshman Jakob Trevino who was Defiance’s top scoring threat. Trevino posted his second-straight career-high game as he scored 12 points in this contest after setting the previous bar at nine on Wednesday night. Rose-Hulman picked up the victory in this one 85-56. The 29-point loss for Defiance marked the 13th defeat in league play of 12 points or more and the fifth conference loss of 20 or more points. The Fightin’ Engineers finished with four players in double-figures including sophomore Miles McGowen (24), senior Max Chaplin (16), senior Willie Bowman (12), and junior Bradley Harden (10). The Yellow Jackets finished with a pair of players in double-figures including freshman Jakob Trevino with 12 points and senior Te Jones with 10. Rose-Hulman shot 49.3% (35-71) from the field, while Defiance shot 40.7% (22-54). The Fightin’ Engineers shot well from three-point range as they shot 47.4% (9-19), while the Yellow Jackets shot 36.8% (7-19) from downtown. Defiance shot 71.4% (5-7) from the free-throw line, while Rose-Hulman shot 66.7% (6-9). The Fightin’ Engineers out-rebounded the Yellow Jackets 42-27.

Women’s Track & Field: Thurs. Feb. 9, Fri. Feb. 10, and Sat. Feb. 11

2/9 and 2/10: Dick Small Invite

The Defiance College women’s track & field team welcomed Muskegon Community College, Cuyahoga Community College, Southwestern Michigan College, Trine University, and Huntington University to the George M. Smart Center Thursday and Friday for the Dick Small Invite. Senior Lisa-Maria Markau recorded a new personal best time of 1:02.74 in the 400 meter dash, while freshman Shyla Pemberton also recorded a new personal best in the 400 meter dash with a time of 1:03.67. Pemberton also recorded a new personal best in the 200 meter dash with a time of 28.02.

2/11: All-Ohio Championships

Senior Lisa-Maria Markau was the lone Yellow Jacket who traveled to Springfield, Ohio, Saturday afternoon for the Women’s All-Ohio Championships at Wittenberg University. Markau won her heat in the 60 meter prelims, as she ran it in 8.01 seconds. In the 60 meter dash finals, Markau finished fifth overall (11 competitors) with a time of 8.02. Markau was crowned the D3 All-Ohio Champion in the 200 meter dash. Markau also tied the indoor school record time of 26.09 seconds with her run in the 200 meter dash.

Men’s Track & Field: Thurs. Feb. 9, Fri. Feb. 10, and Sat. Feb. 11

2/9 and 2/10: Dick Small Invite

The Defiance College men’s track & field team welcomed Muskegon Community College, Cuyahoga Community College, Southwestern Michigan College, Trine University, and Huntington University to the George M. Smart Center Thursday and Friday for the Dick Small Invite. Freshman Isaac Miler ran the 400-meter dash for the first time this season, and he finished with a time of 53.24. Sophomore Jonathan Wright-Daniel completed the 400-meter dash in 54.17, giving him a new personal best. Senior Ja’Qway Janvier, junior Daniel Budwah, sophomore Gavin Maratea, freshman Landon Sensmeier, and freshman Marcus Frye all competed in the 60 meter dash. Maratea (7.33), Budwah (7.54), and Frye (8.32) each recorded personal bests. Freshman Marlon Brown (22.77), sophomore Gavin Maratea (24.02), sophomore Jonathan Wright-Daniel (24.13), and freshman Landon Sensmeier (26.83) all recorded personal bests in the 200 meter dash.

2/11: All-Ohio Championships

Freshman Marlon Brown was the lone Yellow Jacket who traveled to Springfield, Ohio, Saturday afternoon for the Men’s All-Ohio Championships at Wittenberg University. Brown broke the indoor school record for the 400 meter dash, as he ran it in 49.07 seconds. Brown is now the only man in school history to record the 400 meter dash in under 50 seconds. Brown finished in fifth place overall (13 competitors) in the 400 meter dash run.

Wrestling: Sat. Feb. 11

The Defiance College wrestling team traveled to Olivet, Michigan, Saturday morning for the Mid-States Invitational at Olivet College. Ten schools competed in the Mid-States Invitational including Olivet College, Ohio Northern University, Wabash College, Trine University, Adrian College, Alma College, Mount St. Joseph University, Manchester University, and Heidelberg University. Defiance finished in eighth among the 10 teams competing. Senior Alejandro Castro finished in 3rd place in the 157 weight class, as he went 5-1 on the day. After Castro was pinned in just 25 seconds in his second match of the day against Alma freshman Wyatt Raab, Castro rallied for three wins to earn a rematch with Raab in the third-place match. Castro would go on to win the rematch against Raab by decision 5-4. Freshman Jake Scoville lost his first match but bounced back to earn fourth place in the 141-pound class. Scoville won three matches in a row to reach the third-place match, where he was unfortunately beaten by sophomore Sampson Ross of Adrian, for the second time in the tournament. Scoville recorded a 4-2 record on the day. Sophomore Kliever Joseph gave Defiance a second placer in the 141 weight class, as he went 2-2 overall with a pair of victories by fall, including the seventh-place match against his counterpart from Trine. In the 165 weight class, senior Keringten Martin took home fifth place with a 2-2 record. Martin made his way to the semifinal match after a first-round bye and a 7-1 victory by decision in the quarterfinals, before he was downed by the tournament runner-up. Martin was beaten in a consolation semifinal before winning an 8-3 decision in the fifth-place match. Senior Rigo Villa finished in sixth place for the Yellow Jackets in the heavyweight class, as he went 3-3 on the day. Villa lost his first match by fall in 4:45 before winning three in a row in the consolation bracket. Unfortunately, Villa shouldered two straight disqualifications to finish the day. Junior Shamique Bryant (149), junior Brent Eicher (149), senior Jack Minner (174), sophomore Joey Perez (184), freshman Kelvin Ruffin (197), and freshman Lesly Fleurissaint (197) all went 0-2 and did not place.

Home

Tuesday, Feb. 14

Men’s Basketball (6-17) vs Earlham College (5-18)

Location: Karl H. Weaner Center

(7:30 pm)

Friday, Feb. 17

Women’s Basketball (7-16) vs Bluffton University (14-8) (Senior Night)

Location: Karl H. Weaner Center

(6:00 pm)

Men’s Basketball (6-17) vs Bluffton University (5-18) (Senior Night)

Location: Karl H. Weaner Center

(8:00 pm)

Away

Tuesday, Feb. 14

Women’s Basketball (7-16) at Earlham College (2-19)

(7:30 pm)

Wednesday, Feb. 15

Wrestling at Mount St. Joseph University (HCAC Duals)

(6:00 pm)

Saturday, Feb. 18

Women’s Track & Field at Wittenberg University (Wittenberg Invite)

(11:00 am)

Men’s Track & Field at Wittenberg University (Wittenberg Invite)

(11:00 am)