Yellow Jackets Sports Weekly Recap (Feb. 13- Feb. 19)

By: Brandon Unverferth

Photography: Hanna Young

Men’s Basketball: Tue. Feb. 14 and Fri. Feb. 17

2/14: Defiance (OT) 99 (7-17), Earlham College 97 (5-19)

The Defiance College men’s basketball team welcomed the Earlham Quakers to the Karl H. Weaner Center Tuesday evening for an HCAC conference showdown. The starters in this contest included (senior) Te Jones, (sophomore) Landen Swanner, (sophomore) Clay McCorkle, (freshman) Cole Wojciechowski, and (freshman) Jakob Trevino. Fifteen seconds into the contest (19:45 left in the 1st), senior Jaden Terry scored the first points of the game for Earlham, as he managed to fight his way to the rim for the layup (2-0). Twenty-four seconds later (19:22 left in the 1st), senior Tommy Makabu punched in a layup of his own following a missed basket from freshman Jakob Trevino, which put the Quakers up 4-0 early. Earlham would end up scoring the first six points of the contest, before senior Te Jones finally put the Yellow Jackets on the scoreboard with 17:08 left in the first half, as he converted on an open layup (6-2). The Quakers would stretch out to a nine-point lead (13-4) with 15:56 left in the first half, as Defiance simply was having a lot of difficulties finding the bottom of the net. With 13:13 left in the first half, junior Sherod Brooks would splash home the Yellow Jackets’ first triple of the contest and cut the Defiance deficit to six (13-7), but that did not last long. Earlham would respond to Brooks’s triple by going on an 11-0 scoring run over the course of the next three and a half minutes (9:46 left in the 1st) to take a seventeen point lead (24-7). Junior Sherod Brooks would knock down another triple with 9:23 left in the first half to end the Quakers scoring run (24-10), but that would unfortunately lead to another big scoring run. Earlham would go on another run this time 8-2, as they found themselves up by nineteen (32-13) with 5:20 left until the half. Defiance would outscore the Quakers 15-6 in the final five minutes of the first half, as the Yellow Jackets cut the deficit down to ten (38-28) into the halftime break. Defiance and Earlham would go back and forth scoring the basketball in the first five minutes of the second half, as the Yellow Jackets trailed by eleven (53-42) with 15:00 left to play. This is the moment that Defiance took off, however, as they would go on a quick 5-0 scoring run in just one minute of play (14:00 left) to cut the deficit to six (53-47). The Quakers would respond with a quick 6-2 scoring run of their own over the next thirty-four seconds as they regained a double-digit lead of ten (59-49) with 12:55 left to play. With 11:42 left, Defiance found themselves down by twelve (64-52) as senior Jaden Terry converted on an old-fashioned three-point play following a foul by freshman Evan Conrad. The Yellow Jackets would still trail by twelve (65-53) with 10:54 left. Defiance would trail by 10 (71-61) with 7:54 left, but from this point on, the Yellow Jackets would start gaining steam. Forty-nine seconds later (7:05 left), Defiance had cut the deficit to just five (72-67) following a pair of triples from senior Jerome Johnson. The Quakers would stretch the lead back to eight (79-71) with 3:58 left in regulation, but the Yellow Jackets would keep fighting back. With 3:46 left, senior Jerome Johnson splashed home another three-pointer, this time a contested one, which put Defiance back to within five (79-74). This time, the Yellow Jackets would keep with the Quakers as they still trailed by five (83-78) with 2:08 left. With 1:51 left, senior Te Jones added his name to the Defiance second-half three-point barrage, as he splashed home a triple from the left corner to cut the deficit to just two (83-81). Senior Jabryis Heidelberg would tie the game at 83 apiece with 1:28 left in regulation, as he managed to run past the Earlham defense for the layup off an assist from sophomore Landen Swanner. With just twenty-nine seconds left, Defiance would take their first lead of the entire game, 87-85, after senior Te Jones connected on a pair of free-throws at the charity stripe following a foul by senior Tommy Makabu. The Yellow Jackets lead would not last long, however, as freshman James Holder tied the game back up at 87, following a foul by junior Sherod Brooks. Defiance would tick off the clock and try to set something up for a basket in the final seconds, but unfortunately, they were unable to put up a shot before the buzzer went off, which sent the game into overtime. The first basket of overtime came forty-eight seconds in (4:12 left in OT), as senior Jabryis Heidelberg converted on an open layup (89-87). Fifty seconds later (3:22 left in OT), senior Jaden Terry tied the game back up at 89, as he splashed home a pair of free-throws following a foul by junior Sherod Brooks. With 3:09 left, the Yellow Jackets took their largest lead of the night thus far at three (92-89), as senior Jerome Johnson did what “Jerome Johnson does”, splashing home a triple from beyond the arc. After a layup by freshman Joffrey Nunnally with 2:53 left in overtime (92-91), senior Jerome Johnson hit his fifth three-pointer of the game (on just six attempts), this one from the left wing, which put Defiance up by four (95-91) with 2:35 left. With just fifty-seven seconds left in overtime, senior Tommy Makabu connected on a mid-range jumper for Earlham as he pushed the Quakers even closer to within two (97-95). After a (senior) Jabryis Heidelberg missed a layup with thirty-one seconds left, senior Jaden Terry was able to convert on a deep jumper from atop the arc, which tied the game at 97 with just fourteen seconds left. The Yellow Jackets had the ball for the final possession and they decided to take the last shot, but they were unable to connect. Just as fans thought we were going to a second overtime, the refs called a foul on Earlham senior Tommy Makabu (with 0.5 seconds left), which sent senior Jabryis Heidelberg to the free-throw line with two shot opportunities to win the game. Jabryis not only connected on the first free-throw, but he splashed home the second free-throw as well, to give Defiance the incredible come from behind victory 99-97. Defiance finished with four players in double-figures, including senior Te Jones (24), sophomore Landen Swanner (19), senior Jabryis Heidelberg (16), and senior Jerome Johnson (15). Earlham also finished with four players in double-figures, including senior Jaden Terry, who finished with an impressive 42 points, freshman James Holder with 17, senior Tommy Makabu with 16, and freshman Joffrey Nunnally with 16. The Yellow Jackets shot 50% (32-64) from the field, while the Quakers shot 49.3% (35-71). Defiance hit 17 threes in this contest (on just twenty-five attempts), shooting 68%, while Earlham shot 21.4% (3-14) from beyond the arc. Both teams shot incredibly well from the free-throw line as the Yellow Jackets shot 90% (18-20), compared to the Quaker’s 88.9% (24-27). Defiance out-rebounded Earlham slightly 37-35. Bench points were the difference in this contest, as the Yellow Jackets dominated this category 40-2.

When senior Grant Johnson was asked by The Defender about his thoughts following Tuesday’s overtime victory over Earlham, he expressed, “Tonight was a great team win. We pulled together and battled throughout the night, even when our backs were against the wall. We continued to fight to force overtime, and we brought that same energy into overtime, which allowed us to be victorious.“

2/17: Bluffton University 63 (6-19), Defiance 42 (7-18)

The Yellow Jackets men’s basketball team hosted HCAC conference rival, the Bluffton Beavers, at the Karl H. Weaner Center Friday evening as a part of senior night festivities. Defiance seniors Dejsani Beamon, Grant Johnson, Jabryis Heidelburg, Jerome Johnson, Te Jones, and Easton Lewis were recognized during the festivities. The starters in this contest included (senior) Te Jones, (senior) Jerome Johnson, (senior) Grant Johnson, (senior) Jabryis Heidelberg, and (senior) Easton Lewis. One minute and nineteen seconds into the contest (18:41 left in the 1st), senior Easton Lewis fought his way past his defender and scored an easy layup, which put Defiance on the scoreboard first (2-0). Nearly three minutes into the game (17:04 left in the 1st), sophomore Connor Martin scored the Beavers first points of the contest, as he battled his way inside for a layup (2-2). Senior Jabryis Heidelberg would quickly respond to Martin’s basket, as Heidelberg maneuvered his way inside for a layup of his own twenty-six seconds later (16:38 left in the 1st), as he put Defiance back ahead 4-2. Both teams would trade baskets for the next three minutes, as the game was tied at six at the under 14-minute media timeout. Senior Easton Lewis was called on a foul just prior to the media timeout, which sent sophomore Connor Martin to the free-throw line for two shots. Martin would split the pair of attempts at the line, which gave Bluffton a 7-6 lead with 13:35 left in the first half. The next basket would come nearly two minutes later (11:40 left in the 1st), as junior Cam Rogers connected on a mid-range jump shot (9-6). Both teams were “cold” shooting the ball, as Bluffton only had a 11-6 lead at the midway point of the first half. The Beavers would extend their lead to seven (13-6) with 9:21 left in the half, as freshman JD Stokes converted on an open layup. Nearly a minute later (8:34 left in the 1st), Bluffton would build their lead to nine (15-6) as senior Mike Ketner managed to fight his way inside for a layup. With 7:43 left in the first half, junior Michael Stammen converted on a pair of free-throws at the line following a foul by senior Te Jones, which put the Beavers up by double-digits at eleven (17-6). Senior Kiewaun Graham would finally end the over seven-minute Yellow Jackets’ drought with 7:18 left in the first half, as he managed to score a layup off an assist from sophomore Landen Swanner (17-8). Defiance would start to “warm up” in the minutes ahead, as they would go on a 4-2 scoring run in the ensuing two and a half minutes after Graham’s layup, to cut the deficit to seven (19-12) with 4:51 left until the half. Freshman’s Nevin Robson and JD Stokes would score the next two baskets of the game (both for Bluffton) as they both scored a layup to stretch the Beavers lead back to eleven (23-12). With 2:40 left until the halftime break, sophomore Landen Swanner splashed home a triple from the right wing for Defiance, as he trimmed the Yellow Jackets deficit to eight (23-15). Sophomore Connor Martin would go back to the free-throw line for a pair of free-throws with 1:28 left in the first half, and he would split the pair to put Bluffton ahead by nine (24-15). Sophomore Landen Swanner would score once again, this time from mid-range, with 1:13 left in the opening half as he managed to find separation between himself and his defender (24-17). With forty-five seconds left in the first half, freshman Brady Wheeler converted on a layup, and this put the Beavers back ahead by nine (26-17). Both teams would struggle to score in the final forty-five seconds of the first half, as Bluffton maintained a 26-17 lead into the locker room. One minute and twenty-four seconds into the second half (18:36 left), senior Ryan Rose splashed home a triple for the Beavers, and this three-pointer put Bluffton up a baker’s dozen (29-17). Nearly a minute later (17:42 left), senior Jerome Johnson splashed home a triple of his own, which cut the deficit to eight (29-21). The Beavers would quickly respond to Johnson’s triple, as thirty-four seconds later (17:08 left), junior Michael Stammen connected on a three-pointer from the left wing (32-21). The three-point shootout continued on as senior Jabryis Heidelberg added his name to the three-point “barrage” as he splashed home a triple from the left wing (15:52 left) to cut the Yellow Jackets deficit back to eight (32-24). Following the under 16-minute media timeout, senior Te Jones cut the score to 32-26, after he managed to fight his way past his defender for an open layup. One minute and two seconds later (14:18 left), senior Grant Johnson splashed home an open triple from the left wing off an assist from senior Jabryis Heidelberg, which now made it a 8-0 Yellow Jackets’ scoring run (32-29). Defiance’s run would come to an end with 12:58 left, as senior Miguel Ringer was able to put in a contested layup (34-29). Senior Te Jones would respond with a made mid-range jumper twenty-two seconds later (12:36 left), as he rose up for a shot from atop the arc. Following the under 12-minute media timeout, freshman Brady Wheeler split a pair of free-throws following a foul by senior Kiewaun Graham, which put the Beavers back ahead by four (35-31). Wheeler’s free-throw kickstarted a 5-0 Bluffton scoring run that came to an end just past the midway point of the first half (9:56 left). Senior Te Jones would be the one who ended the Beavers run, as Jones converted on a pair of free-throws following a foul by junior Cam Rogers (39-33). With 9:27 left, Senior Miguel Ringer would push the Bluffton lead back to eight (41-33), as he managed to find separation in the Defiance defense for an open layup. Sophomore Landen Swanner would hit a big three with 7:53 left, as senior Te Jones provided the assist on the triple. Swanner’s triple cut the Defiance deficit to five (41-36). Just eighteen seconds after Swanner’s bucket (7:35 left), freshman Brady Wheeler connected on once again another layup, as he put Bluffton ahead by seven (43-36). Wheeler’s layup kickstarted another Beavers’ scoring run, as Bluffton would go on a 13-0 run over the next four minutes (3:49 left) to take a eighteen-point lead (54-36). With 3:37 left, senior Jabryis Heidelberg ended the long Defiance scoring drought, as he managed to convert on an old-fashioned three-point play following a foul by freshman Nevin Robson (54-39). The Beavers would outscore the Yellow Jackets 9-3 in the remaining three and a half minutes, as they picked up the victory 63-42. Bluffton finished with a pair of players in double-figures, including senior Miguel Ringer with 15 points and freshman Brady Wheeler with 14. Defiance also finished with a pair of players in double-figures including sophomore Landen Swanner with 11 points and senior Jabryis Heidelberg with 10. The Beavers shot 42% (21-50) from the field, while the Yellow Jackets shot 27.3% (15-55). Both teams struggled from three-point range as Bluffton shot 21.4% (3-14), compared to Defiance’s 20% (6-30). The Beavers shot 64.3% (18-28) from the free-throw line, while the Yellow Jackets shot 54.5% (6-11). Bluffton out-rebounded Defiance 47-31. The Beavers bench outscored the Yellow Jackets bench 31-14. Bluffton dominated the points in the paint category 32-14.

Women’s Basketball: Tue. Feb. 14 and Fri. Feb. 17

2/14: Defiance 71 (8-16), Earlham College 58 (2-20)

The Defiance College women’s basketball team traveled to Richmond, Indiana, Tuesday evening for an HCAC conference showdown against the Earlham Quakers. The starters in this contest included (graduate) Taylor Day, (senior) Taylor Steinbrunner, (senior) Nicole Sims, (senior) Lexie Sparks, and (senior) Lauren Criblez. Forty-one seconds into the contest (9:19 left in the 1st), senior Nicole Sims scored the first points of the game for Defiance, as she managed to find separation in the Earlham defense for the layup (2-0). With 8:42 left in the opening quarter, senior Neely Trenshaw tied things up at two apiece, as she knocked down a mid-range jumper off an assist from sophomore Amari Bradford. The Yellow Jackets would retake the lead fifty-nine seconds later (7:43 left in the 1st), as senior Taylor Steinbrunner splashed home a triple from the right wing (5-2). After the assist on an earlier possession, sophomore Amari Bradford decided to score for herself with 7:10 left in the first quarter, as she knocked down a jumper from close-range (5-4). Defiance would lose the lead with 6:33 left in the 1st, following a layup from sophomore Willow Runyon (6-5). Fifteen seconds later (6:18 left in the 1st), senior Taylor Steinbrunner would give the Yellow Jackets the lead back 7-6, as she capitalized off an open lane to the bucket. Steinbrunner’s layup kickstarted a 5-0 Defiance scoring run, as Defiance stretched out to a four-point lead (10-6) with 5:42 left in the first quarter. Both teams would trade baskets for the next four minutes, as the Yellow Jackets found themselves up by three (16-13) with less than 50 seconds left in the opening quarter. Freshman Kalista Friday would extend the Defiance lead to eight (21-13) at the end of the first quarter, after she finished the final thirty-nine seconds of the quarter on a 5-0 scoring run of her own. Senior Neely Trenshaw would knock down another mid-range jumper eleven seconds into the second quarter (9:49 left in the 2nd) to trim the Earlham deficit to six (21-15). Twelve seconds later (9:37 left in the 2nd), freshman Kalista Friday continued off her first-quarter scoring streak, as she connected on a mid-range jumper from the left wing to put the Yellow Jackets back up eight (23-15). With 7:47 left in the second quarter, senior Kinzi Brooks splashed home her first triple of the contest for the Quakers, which cut the deficit to five (23-18). The triple by Brooks started what would lead to a 7-0 scoring run for Earlham in the next couple of minutes, as the Quakers found themselves only down by one (23-22) with 6:55 left until the half. The Yellow Jackets then went on a 6-0 scoring of their own, as they were back up seven (29-22) at the midway point of the second quarter. Earlham would match Defiance’s energy for nearly the next three minutes of the quarter, until senior Taylor Steinbrunner splashed home a triple (2:13 left in the 2nd) from the right wing to extend the Yellow Jackets lead to nine (35-26). With just twenty-three seconds left in the first half, graduate Taylor Day would push the Defiance lead to double-figures at eleven (37-26) and that would be the final score of the half. Fifty-two seconds into the third quarter (9:08 left in the 3rd), senior Kylie Brinkman splashed home a triple from the left wing, which extended the Yellow Jackets lead to fourteen (40-26). With 7:38 left in the third quarter, sophomore Amari Bradford cut the Quakers deficit to eleven (40-29) as she splashed home a triple of her own from the right wing. At the midway point of the third quarter, Defiance was up by fourteen (45-31). Eight seconds past the midway point (4:52 left in the 3rd), freshman Kalista Friday splashed home a contested triple from the left wing, which put the Yellow Jackets up sixteen (47-31). Friday’s triple would lead to a 7-1 Defiance run in the next two minutes (2:33 left in the 3rd), as the Yellow Jackets extended out to a nineteen point lead (51-32). At the end of the third quarter, Defiance had a sixteen point lead (56-40). With 8:54 left, junior Cait Good splashed home her first points of the contest, as she connected on a triple from the right wing (61-42). Good would knock down another triple with 6:00 left, for her second three-pointer of the contest, off an assist from senior McKenzie Cooper (65-46). The Yellow Jackets would finish strong in the final six minutes of the contest, as they picked up the victory 71-58. Defiance finished with a trio of players in double-figures including senior Taylor Steinbrunner with 16 points, senior Lexie Sparks with 13, and freshman Kalista Friday with 12. Earlham also finished with a trio of players in double-figures including senior Neely Trenshaw with 13 points, sophomore Alexis Gibson with 13, and sophomore Jay Bright with 10. Defiance shot 40.9% (27-66) from the field, while Earlham shot 36.5% (23-63). The Quakers shot 33.3% (7-21) from three-point range, while the Yellow Jackers shot a close 31.6% (6-19). Defiance shot 64.7% (11-17) from the charity stripe, while Earlham shot 55.6% (5-9). The Yellow Jackets out-rebounded the Quakers 48-32, including a 13-7 offensive rebound advantage.

2/17: Defiance (2OT) 85 (9-16), Bluffton University 82 (15-9)

The Yellow Jackets women’s basketball team hosted HCAC conference rival, the Bluffton Beavers, at the Karl H. Weaner Center Friday evening as a part of senior night festivities. Defiance seniors Kylie Brinkman, McKenzie Cooper, Cait Good, Nicole Sims, Lexie Sparks, Lauren Criblez, and Taylor Steinbrunner were recognized during the festivities. The starters in this contest included (graduate) Taylor Day, (senior) Nicole Sims, (senior) Lexie Sparks, (senior) Lauren Criblez, and (sophomore) Teagan Hunt. Forty-four seconds into the contest (9:16 left in the 1st), freshman Katie Newhart scored the Beavers first points of the game, as she was able to find separation in the Defiance defense for the layup (2-0). The Yellow Jackets would score their first points nearly three minutes into the contest (7:04 left in the 1st), as sophomore Teagan Hunt connected on a mid-range jump shot (4-2). With 6:48 left in the opening quarter, sophomore Kayla Prigge splashed home a right wing triple off an assist from junior Maddie Fitzpatrick, which allowed Bluffton to stretch out to an early five-point lead (7-2). Nearly two minutes later (4:58 left in the 1st), freshman Kalista Friday would respond with a triple of her own, as she converted on an attempt from the left wing (7-5). Senior Sammy Shardo would score a layup with 3:42 left in the opening quarter to put the Beavers lead back to four, but Kalista Friday would once again respond as she converted on a mid-range jumper just nineteen seconds later (3:23 left in the 1st) to cut the Defiance deficit to two (9-7). Following Friday’s mid-range jumper, Bluffton would explode with an 8-2 scoring run in the final three minutes of the opening quarter, as the Beavers led by eight (17-9) to start the second quarter. Nine seconds into the second quarter (9:51 left in the 2nd), senior Sammy Shardo would splash home yet another triple from downtown, this time from the right wing, as she extended the Beavers lead to eleven (20-9). Senior Lexie Sparks would split a pair of free-throws at the line thirty-two seconds later (9:19 left in the 2nd), as she cut the deficit to ten (20-10). Both teams would trade baskets for the next five minutes of play, as Bluffton led by nine (25-16) at the under four-minute media timeout (3:56 left in the 2nd). With 3:10 left until halftime, senior Morgan Smith pushed the Beavers lead back to eleven (27-16), as she connected on a pair of free-throws following a foul by senior Cait Good. Senior McKenzie Cooper would respond with a pair of made free-throws of her own with 2:30 left in the second quarter, as she was fouled by Bluffton senior Peyton Henry (27-18). Cooper’s free throws put the game back within single-digits, at nine. With just forty-six seconds left in the first half, sophomore Kayla Prigge would push the Beavers lead back to double-digits at ten (28-18), as she split a pair of free-throws at the line following a foul by senior McKenzie Cooper. The Yellow Jackets would end the first half on a 4-0 scoring run, as freshman Kalista Friday splashed home four consecutive free-throw opportunities, to cut the Defiance deficit to six (28-22) into the halftime break. Freshman Kalista Friday led the Yellow Jackets in first-half points with 9, while senior Sammy Shardo led the Beavers with 8. Fourteen seconds into the third quarter (9:46 left in the 3rd), senior Morgan Smith found a mismatch in the Defiance defense and she was able to capitalize off it by driving to the rim for the open layup (30-22). With 8:13 left in the third quarter, senior Lexie Sparks responded with a layup of her own, as she drove past the Beavers defense (30-24). Twenty-two seconds later (7:55 left in the 3rd), sophomore Kayla Prigge splashed home a triple from the left wing, which put Bluffton back up nine (33-24). Defiance would respond as they went on a huge 9-2 scoring run in the ensuing two and a half minutes (5:26 left in the 3rd), as Defiance found themselves only down by two (35-33). Following a 30-second timeout, Bluffton junior Maddie Fitzpatrick splashed home a triple from the right wing (5:15 left in the 3rd) to end the Yellow Jackets scoring run and also put the Beavers back up five (38-33). Nearly a minute later (4:16 left in the 3rd), freshman Lacie Fenstermaker stretched the Bluffton lead back to six (39-33), as she split of pair of free-throws at the line following a foul by senior McKenzie Cooper. The Yellow Jackets would once again respond though, as graduate Taylor Day converted on a layup (3:56 left in the 3rd) and freshman Kalista Friday made a mid-range jump shot (3:31 left in the 3rd), which cut the Defiance deficit back to two once again at 39-37. In the final three and a half minutes of the third quarter, Bluffton outscored Defiance 11-7, as the Beavers took a six-point lead (50-44) into the fourth quarter. Senior Peyton Henry started the fourth quarter off strong as she splashed home a triple forty-one seconds into the fourth (9:19 left) from the left wing, which put Bluffton back up by nine (53-44). With 6:53 left to play, freshman Kalista Friday would trim Defiance’s deficit back to within seven (56-49), as she splashed home a three-pointer from atop of the arc. One minute and one second later (5:42 left), senior Lexie Sparks cut into the Bluffton lead even further as she managed to fight her way past her defender for the open layup (56-51). The Yellow Jackets would continue scoring as they ended up going on a 7-0 scoring run, which helped cut the Defiance deficit to two (56-54) with 4:35 left to play. Both teams would go “cold” for nearly the next minute and a half, until senior Morgan Smith would split a pair of free-throws at the line (3:10 left) for Bluffton to put the lead at three (57-54). With 2:33 left, sophomore Kayla Prigge came up big once again for the Beavers, as she connected on an open layup from the left side of the rim (59-54). Sixteen seconds later (2:17 left), junior Cait Good trimmed the Defiance deficit back to within a single possession (at three) as she managed to fight her way through the Bluffton defense for a layup of her own (59-56). The next score would come with just fifty-eight seconds remaining, as sophomore Olivia Zender connected on a pair of free-throws at the line to give Bluffton a five-point lead (61-56). The Yellow Jackets would respond with a quick triple from freshman Addy Allen just seven seconds later (0:51 left) which cut the Defiance deficit back to two once again at 61-59. With twenty-one seconds left Bluffton had the ball with an opportunity to add to their two-point advantage, but unfortunate for them they turned the ball over, which provided Defiance with opportunity to either tie or win the game (0:14 left). On the ensuing Yellow Jackets possession, senior Lexie Sparks had a good look at a layup to tie the game, but she missed it, however, freshman Kalista Friday was there to “save the day” as she picked up the offensive rebound and was fouled immediately by sophomore Olivia Zender. Friday would splash home both free-throws at the charity stripe, which sent this game into overtime. Twenty-one seconds into overtime, sophomore Kayla Prigge split a pair of free-throws at the line, but this gave Bluffton the early lead 62-61. Nearly a minute later (3:48 left in OT), senior Sammy Shardo would splash home a triple from the left wing, which provided the Beavers with a somewhat comfortable four-point advantage (65-61). This comfort would not last long for Bluffton, however, as senior McKenzie Cooper splashed home a triple just seventeen seconds later (3:31 left in OT), to trim the Defiance deficit back to one (65-64). The Yellow Jackets were not done there as they would take the lead 66-65, following a made mid-range jump shot from freshman Addy Allen with 2:59 left. The next score would come with 1:04 left in overtime, as graduate Taylor Day would capitalize off a relaxing Bluffton defense for an open layup (68-65). With forty-nine seconds left in overtime, senior Cait Good would foul sophomore Olivia Zender, which sent her to the line for a pair of free-throws. Zender would convert on both free-throw attempts, as Bluffton cut the Yellow Jackets lead to one (68-67). With just ten seconds left, senior Sammy Shardo splashed home a triple for the Beavers which put them back ahead by two (70-68). Defiance was now in need of a bucket and with just three seconds left, senior McKenzie Cooper had a good look from mid-range, but it did not fall. Thankfully, fellow senior Cait Good had good position to grab the offensive rebound, and she was quickly fouled by senior Morgan Smith. With less than a second remaining, Good had two free-throws awaiting her with a chance to tie the game. Good would convert on both free-throw attempts, which sent this game into double overtime. Fourteen seconds into double overtime (4:46 left), sophomore Kayla Prigge pushed her way past the Defiance defense for an open layup (72-70). Senior Lexie Sparks would respond nearly a minute later (3:47 left in 2OT) with a layup of her own, as she tied things back up at 72. Prigge would convert on a pair of free-throws with 3:37 left to put Bluffton ahead by two, but that would not last long. With 3:08 left, senior McKenzie Cooper splashed home a triple and moments later senior Cait Good also splashed home a triple, which put Defiance ahead by four (78-74) with 2:36 left in double overtime. The Beavers would respond though, as junior Maddie Fitzpatrick drained a three with 2:19 left and this cut Bluffton’s deficit to one (78-77). Senior Sammy Shardo would end up tying the game at 80 apiece with 1:15 left, as she was able to splash home a triple following a layup from senior McKenzie Cooper. With just forty-one seconds remaining, junior Aliza Clark put Defiance back ahead by two, as she was able to find her way past the Bluffton defense for an open layup (82-80). Senior Sammy Shardo would end up tying the game once again at 82 this time, as she connected on a pair of free-throws at the line following a foul by senior McKenzie Cooper (0:28 left in 2OT). On the ensuing possession for Defiance, the Yellow Jackets decided to go slow and burn off some clock. With just thirteen seconds remaining, senior McKenzie Cooper had an open look at a layup for the win, but she was unable to connect, but thankfully senior Cait Good was there once again for Cooper, as Good grabbed the offensive rebound and put it up for two. This gave Defiance a slight two-point advantage 84-82 with just nine seconds left. Senior Morgan Smith would have a decent look at the basket with three seconds left, but she was unable to connect. Senior McKenzie Cooper was quickly fouled with just a second left on the scoreboard. Cooper made the first free-throw at the line, but missed the second. Sophomore Kayla Prigge grabbed the defensive rebound for Bluffton, but she was unable to put up a shot before the buzzer went off. Defiance picked up the double overtime victory 85-82. Defiance finished with a trio of players in double-figures including freshman Kalista Friday (21), senior McKenzie Cooper (15), and senior Lexie Sparks (12). Bluffton finished with four players in double-figures including senior Sammy Shardo (23), sophomore Kayla Prigge (14), senior Morgan Smith (11), and senior Peyton Henry (11). The Yellow Jackets shot 39.2% (31-79) from the field, while the Beavers shot 36% (27-75). Both teams shot well from beyond the arc as Defiance shot 50% (7-14), compared to Bluffton’s 45.2% (14-31). The Beavers shot 77.8% (14-18) from the free-throw line, while the Yellow Jackets shot 66.7% (16-24). Defiance out-rebounded Bluffton 58-42. The Yellow Jackets bench outscored the Beaver’s bench 56-43.

Wrestling: Wed. Feb. 15

The Defiance College wrestling team traveled to Cincinnati, Ohio, Wednesday evening to take part in the HCAC Duals at Mount St. Joseph University. Competing schools included Mount St. Joseph University and Manchester University. In the first dual matchup of the evening, the Yellow Jackets took on the Spartans. Defiance forfeited in the 125 weight class, while the 133 weight class was declared a no contest as neither team had a participant available. Sophomore Kliever Joseph (141), senior Alejandro Castro (157), senior Jack Minner (174), and senior Rigo Villa (285), each picked up wins for the Yellow Jackets. Castro and Minner both won by fall, while Villa earned an overtime victory by decision. Sophomore Kliever Joseph also won by decision. In the 149 weight class, freshman Jake Scoville lost to Manchester freshman Keagen Mabie by fall. Senior Keringten Martin in the 165 weight class, lost to senior Ellisston Ross by decision 9-5. In the 184 weight class, freshman Kelvin Ruffin lost by fall to senior Devontay Moore, while sophomore Joey Perez also lost by fall to senior Alex Searfoss in the 197 weight class. Manchester would pick up the dual victory 27-18. In the second and final dual matchup of the day, Defiance faced off against Mount St. Joseph. The 125 weight class was declared a no contest, as neither team has a wrestler available, while the Lions won the 133 weight class matchup by forfeit. Senior Alejandro Castro (157), senior Keringten Martin (165), and senior Rigo Villa (285), all won by decision. Senior Jack Minner (174) won by fall over freshman Noah Johnson. In the 141 weight class, sophomore Kliever Joseph lost by fall to sophomore Jake Cotsonas, while freshman Jake Scoville lost by major decision 14-5 to junior Jordan Zigo in the 149 weight class. Freshman Kelvin Ruffin in the 184 weight class, lost to junior Donovan Page by fall. Mount St. Joseph would pick up the dual victory 28-15.

Women’s Track & Field: Sat. Feb. 18

The Yellow Jackets women’s track & field team traveled to Springfield, Ohio, Saturday morning for the Wittenberg Invitational at Wittenberg University. Senior Lisa-Maria Markau finished fifth in the 60 meter dash finals, while sophomore Lexi Coward recorded a new personal best in the 800 meter run. Freshman Shyla Pemberton rounded out the Defiance runners as she set a new personal best in the 200 meter dash.

Men’s Track & Field: Sat. Feb. 18

The Defiance College men’s track & field team traveled to Springfield, Ohio, Saturday morning for the Wittenberg Invitational at Wittenberg University. Senior Ja’Qway Janvier finished eighth in the 60 meter dash finals with a time of 7.10 seconds, while freshman Marlon Brown finished second in the 400 meter dash. The 4 x 200m relay team of junior Daniel Budwah, sophomore Jonathan Wright-Daniel, sophomore Gavin Maratea, and freshman Isaac Miler completed it in 1:33.99 minutes.

Home

Sunday, Feb. 26

Baseball (0-0) vs Kalamazoo College (0-0)

Location: Defiance High School

(1:00 pm)

Away

Saturday, Feb. 25

Wrestling at Case Western Reserve University (NCAA Central Regionals Championship)

(10:00 am)

Women’s Golf at Nashville National Golf Links (Music City Shootout)

(TBD)

Softball (0-0) vs Carroll University (0-0) (Fontbonne Tournament)

(12:00 pm)

Baseball (0-0) vs Muskingum University (0-1) (Xavier University)

(1:00 pm)

Women’s Track & Field at Mount St. Joseph University (HCAC Indoor Championships)

(1:00 pm)

Men’s Track & Field at Mount St. Joseph University (HCAC Indoor Championships)

(1:00 pm)

Softball (0-0) vs Millikin University (0-0) (Fontbonne Tournament)

(4:00 pm)

Baseball (0-0) vs Muskingum University (0-1) (Xavier University)

(4:00 pm)

Sunday, Feb. 26

Wrestling at Case Western Reserve University (NCAA Central Regionals Championship)

(10:00 am)

Women’s Golf at Nashville National Golf Links (Music City Shootout)

(TBD)

Softball (0-0) vs Monmouth College (0-0) (Fontbonne Tournament)

(12:00 pm)

Softball (0-0) vs Illinois College (0-0) (Fontbonne Tournament)

(2:00 pm)