Yellow Jackets Sports Weekly Recap (Nov. 14- Nov. 20)

By: Brandon Unverferth

Photography: Hanna Young

Men’s Basketball: Wed. Nov. 16, Thurs. Nov. 17, and Sat. Nov. 19

11/16: Alma College 84 (1-1), Defiance 69 (1-2)

The Defiance College men’s basketball team welcomed the Alma Scots to the Karl H. Weaner Center Wednesday evening for a non-conference showdown. The starters in this contest included (senior) Marell Jordan, (senior) Kiewaun Graham, (sophomore) Clayton McCorkle, (sophomore) Landen Swanner, and (freshman) Evan Conrad. Senior Kiewaun Graham got the scoring started for the Yellow Jackets with a three-pointer from the right wing, and shortly after, sophomore Clayton McCorkle splashed home a three-pointer of his own to give Defiance a 6-0 early lead. A few minutes later, sophomore Landen Swanner added his name to the Yellow Jackets’ three-point “party” as he capitalized on an open three from the left wing to give Defiance a 9-3 lead. At the midway point of the first half, Defiance’s lead was shrunk to seven (18-11), thanks to an Alma Scot 5-0 scoring run. Into the halftime break, Defiance maintained a seven-point lead (36-29). The Yellow Jackets shot a perfect (11-11) from the free throw line in the first half. Senior Te Jones was the leading scorer for Defiance after 20 minutes of play, with nine.

The Scots started the second half on a 12-5 scoring run, to tie the game at 41 (15:54 left). Alma then went on another scoring run, this time a 9-0 scoring run to take their first lead of the game 50-45 (13:01 left). Midway through the second half, the Scots led 54-51. The Scots went on another 9-0 scoring run thanks to a trio of three-pointers from sophomore Peyton Bush, senior Nate Deyman, and junior Tyshaun Walker; to take a 10-point lead (65-55) with 5 minutes remaining. Alma ended the game on a 19-14 scoring run to take the victory 84-69. The Scots finished with a trio of players in double-digits, including junior Tyshaun Walker (26), junior Connor Riley (22), and junior Landen Moore-Pierce (10). The Yellow Jackets finished with four players in double-digits, including senior Kiewaun Graham (16), sophomore Landen Swanner (12), senior Te Jones (10), and senior Dejsani Beamon (10). The Scots shot 44.4% (32-72) from the field, while Defiance shot 35.7% (20-56). Defiance shot an impressive 84.6% (22-26) from the free throw line, compared to the Scots’ 76.5% (13-17). Alma out-rebounded the Yellow Jackets 39-37. The difference in this contest came from the turnover differential, as Defiance had 22 turnovers in the game, compared to the Scots’ 12. Alma recorded a 48-24 points in the paint advantage over Defiance.

11/17: Wright State University 99 (2-1), Defiance 56 (1-2)

(Exhibition)

The Yellow Jackets men’s basketball team traveled to Dayton, Ohio, Thursday evening to take on the Wright State Raiders (NCAA Division I opponent) in exhibition action. The starters in this contest included (senior) Marell Jordan, (senior) Kiewaun Graham, (senior) Grant Johnson, (junior) Easton Lewis, and (freshman) Evan Conrad. Two minutes into the first half, junior Easton Lewis scored the Yellow Jackets’ first points of the contest, with a basket from three-point range. Midway through the first half, Wright State found themselves up five (21-16). 11:21 into the first half, freshman Cam Martin scored back-to-back three-pointers in a matter of 29 seconds, as he cut the Raiders’ lead back to five (27-22). The next minute (7:00 left in the 1st), however, the Raiders went on a quick 5-0 scoring run to stretch the lead to 10 (32-22). At the half, Wright State led by a score of 49-33, thanks to a 5-0 scoring run in the final minute. Near the midway point of the second half, the Raiders went on a huge 18-0 scoring run (10:10 left), which extended the Wright State lead to 40 (83-43). In the end, the Raiders captured the victory 99-56. Seven of the eight players who saw action for Wright State in this contest scored in double-figures, including senior Amari Davis (17), junior Andrew Welage (16), sophomore AJ Braun (14), redshirt senior Tim Finke (13), redshirt freshman Brandon Noel (12), redshirt sophomore Alex Huibregtse (11), and sophomore Blake Sisley (10). Junior Andrew Welage (two) and sophomore Alex Huibregtse (one), combined to record all three of Wright State’s triples in this contest. The Yellow Jackets hit a total of 14 three-pointers in this game (on 37 attempts) led by senior Te Jones who shot 75% (3-4) from behind the arc, while freshman Cam Martin and junior Easton Lewis each shot 40% (2-5). Half of the remaining threes (seven) came from seven different Yellow Jackets, including senior Grant Johnson, junior Sherod Brooks, sophomore Will Gehlhausen, sophomore Landen Swanner, sophomore Jake Segulin, freshman Jakob Trevino, and freshman Evan Park. Defiance only shot two free throws in the entire game, both coming from senior Marell Jordan (in the first half), who shot 100% on the pair. Wright State recorded 33 points off of 21 Defiance turnovers, with 19 of those 33 points coming from fast break points. The Raiders shot an incredible 74.1% (40-54) from the field, while Defiance shot 34.5% (20-58).

11/19: Defiance 88 (2-2), Adrian College 79 (1-2)

The Defiance College men’s basketball team hosted the Adrian Bulldogs Saturday afternoon at the Karl H. Weaner Center for a non-conference showdown. The starters in this contest included (senior) Marell Jordan, (senior) Kiewaun Graham, (sophomore) Clayton McCorkle, (sophomore) Landen Swanner, and (freshman) Evan Conrad. Seventeen seconds into the contest, sophomore Landen Swanner got the scoring started for the Yellow Jackets, as he splashed home a three-pointer. Shortly after (44 seconds in), junior Victor Sheffey capitalized off a Defiance foul (by freshman Evan Conrad) to tie the game at 3, with an old-fashioned three-point play. At the midway point of the first half, the Yellow Jackets held a slight lead, 22-20. The Bulldogs then went on a quick 4-0 scoring run to take the lead 24-22, off baskets from junior Victor Sheffey and sophomore Nick Seifert. The Yellow Jackets followed suit with a 6-0 scoring run of their own to take the lead back 28-24, off a pair of three-pointers from seniors Te Jones and Jerome Johnson. At the half, Defiance had a three-point lead over the Bulldogs, 42-39. Just like the first half, sophomore Landen Swanner got the Defiance second-half scoring started with a quick three-pointer (eight seconds in). With 14:34 left to play, sophomore De’Ovion Price knocked in one of his two free throws following a Yellow Jackets foul by sophomore Landen Swanner, to give Adrian the lead back 46-45. The Bulldogs’ lead did not last long, however, as senior Marell Jordan splashed one home from downtown, to give Defiance the lead 48-46. Jordan clawed a steal on the next defensive possession and found senior Te Jones for another triple to increase the edge to five. Senior Desjani Beamon and junior Easton Lewis knocked down a pair of shots from downtown around the under-12 media timeout, but Adrian found a couple of answers and trimmed the lead down to 60-58 by the under-8 break. The Yellow Jackets kept punching back and answered with a 9-0 scoring run to build up a 13-point lead. Freshman Evan Conrad laid in his first points of the game with 6:05 left, to lift Defiance to an advantage of 66-60. Shortly after (5:49 left), sophomore Landon Swanner added a pair of free throws, then senior Marell Jordan (5:17 left) turned an Adrian missed 3-pointer into a made trey of his own. With 4:48 remaining, senior Jabryis Heidelburg swiped a steal and scored to force an Adrian timeout (73-60). Six Yellow Jackets combined for 10 3-pointers in the first half, including (senior) Marell Jordan, (senior) Jerome Johnson, (senior) Te Jones, and (sophomore) Clayton McCorkle; who each hit multiple shots from outside the ark. Senior Marell Jordan led the way for Defiance with a double-double, accounting for a game-high 25 points and 10 rebounds. Senior Te Jones followed with a season-best 17 points and sophomore Tanner Swanner added 13 more to join them in double figures, both doing so for the second game in a row. Adrian was led by junior Victor Sheffey’s 20 points, while sophomore De’Ovion Price added 18. Sophomore Nick Seifert had a double-double with 12 points and a game-high 11 boards. Adrian shot 43.3% (26-60), while Defiance shot 42.9% (27-63). The Yellow Jackets shot an incredible 47.2% (17-36), while the Bulldogs shot 33.3% (5-15) from downtown. Defiance out-rebounded Adrian 42-33. The Yellow Jackets bench outscored the Bulldogs bench 34-19.

When senior Grant Johnson was asked by The Defender about his thoughts as they near the start of conference play, he expressed, “It was great to get a win against Adrian. It will definitely help build some momentum as we near conference play! As a team, we are starting to figure ourselves out both offensively and defensively. We haven’t even met our potential yet, which is something that we will continue to aspire towards. I believe that we are capable of big things, we just gotta focus on the present task at hand each day.”

Women’s Basketball: Tues. Nov. 15 and Sun. Nov. 20

11/15: Ohio Wesleyan University 67 (2-1), Defiance 43 (0-2)

The Yellow Jackets women’s basketball team traveled to Delaware, Ohio, Tuesday evening to take on the Ohio Wesleyan Battling Bishops. The starters in this contest included (graduate) Taylor Day, (senior) Taylor Steinbrunner, (senior) Nicole Sims, (senior) Lexie Sparks, and (senior) Lauren Criblez. Senior Taylor Steinbrunner was the first player (from either team) to put points up on the scoreboard as she capitalized on her first of two free throws, following an Ohio Wesleyan foul. Following the opening quarter, the Battling Bishops found themselves ahead by four (14-10), thanks to 8 points from junior Kasey Schipfer. At halftime, Ohio Wesleyan managed to stretch their lead to 10 (33-23). Graduate Taylor Day and senior Taylor Steinbrunner led the Yellow Jackets with six points apiece, while (junior) Kasey Schipfer had 16 for the Battling Bishops. Defiance shot 33.3% (3-9) from three-point range in the first half and 75% (6-8) from the charity stripe (free throw line). The third quarter was dominated by Ohio Wesleyan. The Battling Bishops built upon their second-quarter success to take a 57-33 lead into the fourth quarter, thanks to a 14-0 scoring run (midway through the third). In the fourth quarter, Defiance narrowly outscored the Battling Bishops 11-10. Graduate Taylor Day was the lone double-digit scorer for the Yellow Jackets with 10, while senior Taylor Steinbrunner (9), junior Kylie Brinkman (6), senior Lauren Criblez (4), senior Lexie Sparks (4), junior McKenzie Cooper (3), freshman Kalista Friday (3), junior Cait Good (2), and sophomore Kaitlin Paul (2); each recorded points for Defiance. A trio of players finished in double figures for Ohio Wesleyan including junior Kasey Schipfer (22), junior Lauren Denison (14), and sophomore Alyssa Griner (10). The Battling Bishops shot 66.7% (4-6) from the free throw line, while Defiance shot 50% (8-16) from the charity stripe. Ohio Wesleyan led the way in the rebounds category 41-37, including a 15-10 offensive rebound advantage. The Battling Bishops had 22 assists in the contest compared to the Yellow Jackets’ nine.

When senior Nicole Sims was asked by The Defender about her thoughts following the matchup at Ohio Wesleyan, she expressed, “It was a tough loss, but we have to move on and focus on the next game. Making corrections at practice will be the place to start in regards to improvement. It’s vitally important that we stick together through tough losses that occur throughout the season.”

11/20: Defiance 70 (1-2), St. Mary’s College 60 (3-2)

The Defiance College women’s basketball team traveled to Notre Dame, Indiana, Sunday afternoon for a non-conference showdown against the St. Mary’s Belles. The starters in this contest included (graduate) Taylor Day, (senior) Taylor Steinbrunner, (senior) Nicole Sims, (junior) Kylie Brinkman, and (junior) Cait Good. Twenty-one seconds into the contest, graduate Taylor Day got the scoring started for the Yellow Jackets, as she splashed home a three-pointer. Junior Cait Good was the next Defiance player to make her way onto the scoring sheet (8:27 left in first) as she capitalized on a layup, to give the Yellow Jackets an early 5-0 lead. Just before the midway point of the first quarter, sophomore Julia Schutz for the Belles, knocked one down from “downtown”, to tie the game at nine. St. Mary’s ended the first quarter on a 4-0 scoring run, to give the Belles a 17-13 advantage. With 2:39 left until halftime, senior Maddie Rzepka scored a huge three-pointer for the Belles, to give St. Mary’s their largest lead of the first half (seven) 28-21. In the final minute and 12 seconds, Defiance ended with 5-0 scoring run of their own, thanks to jumper (1:12 left in the 2nd) and three-pointer (39 seconds left) by senior Lexie Sparks, which cut the Belles lead to two (30-28) at the halftime break. Eleven seconds into the third quarter, graduate Taylor Day tied things up at 30, as she drove to the basket for a layup. Forty-two seconds later (9:07 left in the 3rd), junior Elle Deardorff splashed home a three-pointer, to give the Belles the lead back 33-30. Near the midway point of the third quarter, St. Mary’s went on a 6-0 scoring run (5:24 left in the 3rd), thanks to a trio of layups from junior Athena Samson, which provided the Belles with a six point lead (42-36). Two minutes later, the Yellow Jackets tied the game once again (this time at 42), thanks to a pair of three-point “bombs” by senior Taylor Steinbrunner. Senior Nicole Sims and graduate Taylor Day would add to the now 10-0 Defiance scoring run, to give the Yellow Jackets a 46-42 advantage (37 seconds left in the 3rd). With 7:19 left in the 4th quarter, (graduate) Taylor Day capitalized on a (senior) Lauren Criblez defensive rebound, to score a fastbreak layup. Taylor’s basket provided Defiance with their largest lead of the game so far (nine) 54-45. Seniors Maddie Rzepka (St. Mary’s) and Taylor Steinbrunner (DC) traded a pair of three-pointers at the 7:06 (Maddie) and 6:41 (Taylor) marks. With 2:29 left in the contest, the Belles cut the Defiance lead from nine to five (59-54), following a pair of free throws from freshman Nicole Connolly and junior Anne Goralczyk. In the final 2:07, the Yellow Jackets scored 11 points (to take the victory 70-60), thanks to two points from (senior) Taylor Steinbrunner, two points from (junior) McKenzie Cooper, four points from (senior) Lauren Criblez, and three points from (senior) Nicole Sims. The Yellow Jackets finished with two players in double-digit scoring including graduate Taylor Day and senior Taylor Steinbrunner, who each put up 15 points. The Belles finished with a trio of players in double-digits including sophomore Julia Schutz (18), junior Athena Samson (14), and senior Maddie Rzepka (10). Defiance shot 36.8% (25-68) from the field, while the Belles shot 30.4% (21-69). The Yellow Jackets shot an incredible 93.8% (15-16) from the free-throw line, while St. Mary’s shot 72.2% (13-18). The Belles outrebounded Defiance 50-44, while the Yellow Jackets bench outscored St. Mary’s bench 23-8.

Wrestling: Sat. Nov. 19

The Defiance College wrestling team traveled to Berea, Ohio, Saturday morning for the Baldwin Wallace Invitational at Baldwin Wallace University. Nine teams participated in the invite, including Baldwin Wallace University, Delaware Valley University, Trine University, Lourdes University, Case Western Reserve University, Thiel College, Manchester University, and Mount St. Joseph University. Baldwin Wallace University took the team victory with a score of 150.5, while Deleware Valley University finished in the runner-up spot with a score of 148.5, and Trine University rounded out the podium with a score of 119.5. The Yellow Jackets finished 7th overall with a team score of 30.0. In the 133 weight class, freshman Evan Gray (0-2, 9) received two byes before he wrestled Trine’s, Thomas Miller in Round 1 of the Consolations. Evan fell in the match by a technical fall (2:37). Also in the 133 weight class, senior Seth Majewski placed sixth overall with a victory over Baldwin Wallace’s Jackson Allen by a technical fall (3:00). Seth advanced to face off against Deleware Valley’s Ryan Kelly in the semifinals, where Seth lost by fall (5:43). In the 141 weight class, freshman Eli Jones (0-4, 9) wrestled Case Western Reserve’s Art Martinez. Eli lost by fall (2:06). In the 149 weight class, sophomore Kliever Joseph (0-2, 10) competed against Deleware Valley’s Kamrin O’Neill, where Kliever lost by fall (2:55). Freshman Jacob Scoville (0-4, 9) also in the 149 weight class, received an open round bye before he competed against Deleware Valley’s Kamrin O’Neill. Jacob lost by fall (2:28). Freshman Brandon Ruiz (0-4, 9) in the 149 weight class, competed against Deleware Valley’s Declan Smith, where Brandon lost by fall (1:06). Junior Shamique Bryant (0-4, 11) the fourth and final Defiance wrestler in the 149 weight class, competed against Deleware Valley’s Daniel Conroy, where Shamique lost by decision (12-5). In the 157 weight class, junior Brent Eicher (1-4, 11) received an open round bye before he faced off against Trine’s Wade Shafer, where Brent was victorious by fall (2:04). Brent then competed against Thiel’s Peyton Hearn, where Brent lost by a major decision (11-1). Senior Alejandro Castro (3-2, 12) also in the 157 weight class, received a bye in the opening round, before he competed against Deleware Valley’s Greg Corce, where Alejandro lost by sudden victory. Later, Castro competed against Trine’s Lakin Webb, where Castro took the victory by decision (7-1). Alejandro would then face off against Case Western Reserve’s Mitchell Arch, where Alejandro lost by fall (4:32). Castro finished seventh overall in the 157 weight class. In the 165 weight class, senior Keringten Martin (3-3, 12) received an open-round bye before he faced off against Deleware Valley’s Maximus Gordon, where Keringten was victorious by decision (6-2). Martin would go on to compete against Baldwin Wallace’s Hunter Kupniewski, where Martin was victorious once again, this time by a major decision (15-5). Keringten lost his last match against Lourdes Derrick Coleman, to place him 4th overall in the 165 weight class. In the 174 weight class, sophomore Matthew Beard (0-2, 10) received an open round bye before he faced off against Baldwin Wallace’s Brandon Burkhart, where Matthew lost by fall (1:04). In the 184 weight class, senior Jack Minner (0-5, 12) received an open round bye before he competed against Baldwin Wallace’s Jack Cain, where Jack lost by fall (4:28). Minner would go on to face off against Case Western Reserve’s Alex Torres, where Minner lost by fall (1:13). Jack placed 7th overall in the 184 weight class. In the 197 weight class, freshman Lesly Fleurissaint (0-4, 9) received an open-round bye before competing against Trine’s Mason Custer, where Lesly lost by fall (2:41). Sophomore Joey Perez (2-4, 10) also in the 197 weight class, received an open round bye before he was victorious over Case Western Reserve’s Connor Heineman by decision (13-9). Perez would go on to face off against Trine’s Mason Custer, where Perez lost by fall (3:30). Joey placed 7th overall in the 197 weight class. Finally, in the 285 weight class, freshman Kelvin Ruffin (1-4, 9) received an open-round bye before competing against Thiel’s Jacob Traupman, where Kelvin lost by fall (6:57).

Home

Tuesday, Nov. 29

Wrestling vs Adrian College (Adrian College Dual)

Location: Karl H. Weaner Center

(7:00 pm)

Wednesday, Nov. 30

Women’s Basketball (1-2) vs Manchester University (2-2)

Location: Karl H. Weaner Center

(7:30 pm)

Friday, Dec. 2

Men’s Track & Field (Early Bird Open)

Location: George M. Smart Center

(3:00 pm)

Women’s Track & Field (Early Bird Open)

Location: George M. Smart Center

(3:00 pm)

Saturday, Dec. 3

Women’s Basketball (1-2) vs Franklin College (1-1)

Location: Karl H. Weaner Center

(1:00 pm)

Men’s Basketball (2-2) vs Franklin College (2-2)

Location: Karl H. Weaner Center

(3:00 pm)

Away

Wednesday, Nov. 30

Men’s Basketball (2-2) at Manchester University (0-3)

(7:30 pm)

Friday, Dec. 2

Wrestling at Cornerstone University (Blithe Duals)

(11:00 am)

Saturday, Dec. 3

Wrestling at Cornerstone University (Blithe Duals)

(9:00 am)

A correction was made on 11/22/22/ The wrestling team will be at cornerstone university, not Albion College, for the Blithe Duals.