According to “The Month of January 2023: Holidays, Fun Facts, Folklore”, “January was named for the Roman god Janus, known as the protector of gates and doorways who symbolize beginnings and endings.” “Janus is depicted with two faces, one looking into the past, the other with the ability to see into the future.” Originally January and February were not a part of the Roman calendar as the winter months were considered dormant. Some of the most popular holidays throughout the month of January include New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr Day, Benjamin Franklin’s birthday, and the Lunar New Year. The Lunar New Year is celebrated each year annually on January 22nd. The Lunar New Year is celebrated mostly in East Asia and begins with the first new moon after the winter solstice. Some other fun days in January include National Chocolate-Covered Cherry Day, National Bean Day, Elvis Presley’s Birthday, National Houseplant Appreciation Day, National Dress Up Your Pet Day, National Penguin Day, National Answer’s Your Cat’s Question Day, National Puzzle Day.
January is considered the coldest month of the year in the northern hemisphere. Also, in the northern hemisphere, the days are starting to get longer again, and the light begins to emerge again. January is also known as the best time to start planning your garden for the upcoming season. The birthstone for the month of January is the garnet, and it is said to keep the weak safe during travel. January’s flowers include the snowdrop and the carnation. In conclusion, January is a very interesting month with lots of fun events and days to celebrate.
The next epidemic likely to affect young Americans might just be sports gambling addiction. I’ll admit that I watch way too much football, and being an NFL fan since 1970, I know quite a bit about the sport. In fact, my mighty Smashing Bumpkins squad won a fantasy football dynasty league championship this season. This could easily create the illusion that I know more about the NFL than the bookies, but I am wise enough to know that, given time, they always take your money. Recent statistics associated with the growth of US sports betting are actually quite alarming.
Data below from Altenar, Inc. summarizes US betting activity since 2016:
In addition to the exponential growth of the sports betting industry, it is especially alarming that the highest participation rate is for those individuals that earn less than $50,000 per year (S & P Global, 2023). One can also speculate that young males, many of whom perceive themselves as sports experts, are the target audience for companies such as Caesar’s Sports Book and Draft Kings. Much like the tobacco industry marketing strategy, if you can hook a smoker (gambler) at a young age, you are very likely to have a life-long consumer.
Given the potential of online sports betting to cultivate a young generation of gambling addicts, I am perplexed that they can find wholesome sports figures, such as Peyton and Eli Manning, to willingly market their product (experience). Caesar’s Sports Book, along with Peyton and Eli, only makes money when you lose more bets than you win. The highly skilled professionals that set the odds are simply going to ensure that you lose your hard-earned money given enough time, of which they have an unlimited source. Five dollars to earn $200 in free bets may actually end up costing you thousands!
This movie is the greatest thing since sliced bread. Not really, but I still really enjoyed it. The combination of Ralph Fiennes (he played Voldemort, but don’t worry, he has a nose in this movie), Gemma Arterton, and Djimon Hounsou is a hit. Their chemistry together is outstanding. This film was considered a “box office bomb,” but I beg to differ.
You know it will be good as the prequel to the Kingsmen film series. It’s a spy film set during World War I, so there’s lots of action. The main cast is English (I love those accents), so unlike most war films we’re familiar with, this is not from the American point of view. The King’s Man puts a fictionalized spin on the events leading up to WWI, and I love it. We get to see Rasputin, who has a very interesting Russian accent, a mysterious Scottish fellow who is the film’s main baddie, and an infamous woman named Mata Hari, who seduced Woodrow Wilson.
The film’s main star is supposed to be Ralph Fiennes’s character, the Duke of Oxford, and his band of merry heroes, Rasputin steals the show. With his vulgar language, (bad) Russian accent, and singing and dancing skills, the film should be renamed Rasputin: Not a King’s Man. The fight scene between Oxford and Rasputin should’ve won an award for best fight. It was that good. The music during the scene was absolute perfection. However, it was not as perfect as the amazingly wonderful Nanny Polly, who was an absolute queen. She took feminism and female empowerment to a new level. I want to be her when I grow up.
The King’s Man is a wonderful film with an all-star cast. Unfortunately, it didn’t make as big a splash as the first two Kingsmen films, but there are still talks of a sequel. Hopefully, a sequel will be created so the franchise can continue.
It is the beginning of the Spring Semester, and everyone is back on campus for the rest of the school year. I don’t know about you, but I am super excited about this semester. Some of you may be Freshmen, a little more confident with a semester under your belt. Maybe you’re a Sophomore or Junior, settling in for another semester of work to achieve your goal. Or maybe you’re lucky enough to be a Senior, and you’re on the homestretch toward graduation. Whichever category you fit into, it is always a good thing to start the semester off on the right foot. It is a new year, after all, and with that comes new year’s resolutions.
I always had a problem with new year’s resolutions, to be honest. They always seem doomed to fail. Everybody starts out strong, don’t get me wrong. But the problem is, for most people, their resolution may be to be active, and they’ll do great for a few days, and then by January 7, they’re back to sitting on their couch watching YouTube. So how do you stop this from happening?
You could start by coming up with an attainable goal, something that you can actually achieve. Be realistic. You’re not going to become an Olympic athlete in one year. Instead, start thinking about things that might be good for you but also doable, like eating breakfast every morning or taking an hour every day not to be around electronics (yes, that includes your phone). You could make it a goal to read every day or take a few minutes to tidy up your dorm room and put your stuff away. Now that you have some ideas think about something that you could do. Do you have an idea? Great. Now that you have your idea think about whether you can reasonably incorporate it into your daily life. Maybe you can’t take an hour-long break from electronics, but you can do half an hour. Maybe instead of eating breakfast every day, you make it a goal to eat lunch every day. Tailor it to your needs and schedule. Maybe you chose a goal like walking a mile every day, but then you remembered where you live and realized that you don’t like the cold or treadmills all that much. If so, then go back to the drawing board and think of something different.
Once you figure out something else, make sure you find ways to make sure that you succeed. If your goal is 10,000 steps, get a step tracker. If it is to read every day, create a reading log. Set reminders on your phone, put a sticky note next to your light switch, or get someone to check in on you to make sure you are doing what you’re supposed to. Find a way to succeed.
Finally, don’t just give up. If you skip a day or two, keep trying to achieve your goal. You are doing this to better yourself so keep that in mind. You can do it, just keep working at it and put your best foot forward. Best of luck!
The Overnight Guest, by New York Times Bestselling Author, Heather Gudenkauf is a chilling page-turner. This story is set in rural Blake County, Iowa, deep in the country where the houses are slim on the backroads. This story keeps readers wanting to know what is going to happen next.
Wylie Lark is a true crime author who doesn’t blink an eye when she gets snowed in at the farmhouse she is staying in to finish her latest book. The only thing is the farmhouse she is staying in is the same house where a decade-old murder took place in. A murder in which two people were murdered and a young girl comes up missing. The storm outside the house continues to worsen, and she finds herself completely trapped inside of the house with nowhere else to go, she is forced to relive her own secrets. That is until she discovers a young child in the snow outside of her house and brings the child into warmth and safety. She begins to investigate, but what she uncovers is just as unnerving. It is soon made evident that it is not as isolated out there as Wylie once believed, and someone is willing to find them at any cost.
This story had so many puzzle pieces that connected together at the end. If you can get past the multiple perspectives that are going on in the book, then the read is quite good. Everything makes sense at the end of the book. I really enjoyed how the author seemed to keep the readers on their toes. Just when you thought you had something figured out, the author would throw another curve ball at you. The ending is one that I would never have guessed, but looking back, all the pieces were there they were just blurred into the story.
Overall, I would rate this book a 4/5 because the first 40 pages were kinda confusing with the skipping back and forth between the perspectives. I really enjoyed the book after getting through those few pages.
1/11: Anderson University (2OT) 91 (9-5), Defiance 88 (5-9)
Senior #22 Marell Jordan pictured moments before throwing down a one-handed slam against Anderson
The Defiance College men’s basketball team welcomed the Anderson Ravens to the Karl H. Weaner Center Wednesday evening for an HCAC conference showdown. The starters in this contest included (senior) Marell Jordan, (sophomore) Landen Swanner, (freshman) Jordyn Jury, (freshman) Ried Jury, and (freshman) Cole Wojciechowski. Fifty-three seconds into the game (19:07 left in the 1st half), sophomore Landen Swanner connected on an open layup off an assist from freshman Cole Wojciechowski, to put up the first points of the contest for the Yellow Jackets (2-0). Thirty-three seconds later (18:37 left in the 1st), junior Jordan Gadis responded to Swanner’s basket with a deep three-pointer of his own from the left wing to give Anderson the early lead 3-2. Gadis’s bucket from downtown began what would result in a 11-0 scoring run for the Ravens, which put Anderson ahead 11-2 (16:20 left in the 1st). Twenty-three seconds later (15:57 left in the 1st), senior Marell Jordan ended the cold streak for Defiance as he found an open lane to the bucket for the layup (11-4). With 15:14 left in the first half, Defiance found themselves down ten (14-4), but they would quickly cut the deficit to three (14-11) as they went on a 7-0 scoring run, which consisted of a (senior) Te Jones three-pointer, a (senior) Marell Jordan layup, and a (sophomore) Landen Swanner layup. At the midway point of the first half, the Yellow Jackets found themselves down by just four, 20-16. With 8:13 left in the first half, the Ravens had a slight advantage of three (24-21), before they went on a 6-0 scoring run in the next two minutes of the contest to stretch the lead to nine (30-21). The Yellow would respond by going on their own 8-0 scoring run, as Defiance cut the lead back to one (30-29) with 3:12 left in the first half. Anderson once again pushed on the gas following Defiance’s scoring run, as they went on yet another scoring run of their own (this time 8-0) to stretch the lead back to nine (38-29) with 1:15 left until the halftime break. The Yellow Jackets would end the first half on a 7-2 scoring run as they trimmed the deficit to four (40-36) into the locker room, thanks to a (senior) Te Jones three-pointer, a pair of free-throws from (senior) Marell Jordan, and a (sophomore) Landen Swanner jumper. Thirty-six seconds into the second half (19:24 left), freshman Cole Wojciechowski scored the first points of the half for the Yellow Jackets as he connected on a short-range jumper (42-38). After junior Camden Smith connected on a layup (19:04 left) to give the Ravens a six-point lead (44-38), sophomore Landen Swanner came up huge for the Yellow Jackets as he splashed home two consecutive shots from downtown (18:16 and 17:13 left) to tie the game at 44 apiece. The Ravens would lead by as much as eleven in the late stages of the second half (67-56 with 5:50 left), but the Yellow Jackets would end up going on a 13-0 scoring run to take the lead 69-67 with 3:22 left to play. With 2:12 left, senior Te Jones extended the Defiance scoring run to fifteen straight points as he connected on a mid-range jump shot to give the Yellow Jackets a 71-67 lead. Sophomore Tate Ivanyo would come up clutch for the Ravens as he scored the final four points of regulation off a pair of layups (1:00 and 0:07 left) to send the game into overtime. Twenty-six seconds into overtime (4:34 left), senior Marell Jordan connected on a mid-range jumper to give the Yellow Jackets an early 73-71 advantage. Just twenty seconds later (4:34 left), junior Alex Hunt for the Ravens splashed home a huge three-pointer to put Anderson ahead 74-73. Both teams went scoreless for nearly the next two minutes before senior Marell Jordan scored found his way to rim for an open layup to give Defiance the lead back 75-74 (2:50 left). Sophomore Tate Ivanyo’s name came up once again when it meant most for the Ravens as he splashed home a deep three-pointer with 1:57 left in overtime to give Anderson the lead back 77-75. Forty-seven seconds later (1:10 left), senior Jerome Johnson came up big for Defiance as he splashed home a deep shot from downtown, which returned the lead to the Yellow Jackets 78-77. After a made free-throw from senior Jabryis Heidelberg (0:15 left) Defiance found themselves up by two (79-77) with eleven seconds left. With seven seconds left to play, senior Marell Jordan, unfortunately, lost the ball following an Anderson steal and junior Camden Smith for the Ravens capitalized off the Yellow Jackets’ mistake to score the game-tieing layup with just three seconds left. Neither team was able to put up a shot in the final three seconds, so this matchup went to a second overtime. Six seconds into the second overtime (4:54 left), junior Camden Smith capitalized once again off a lack in Defiance defense inside the paint to put the Ravens ahead 81-79. Eighteen seconds later (4:36 left), senior Marell Jordan found his way to the rim for the game-tieing layup as he dribbled his way past Ivanyo for the basket. With 3:20 left, junior Jordan Gadis regained the Anderson lead as he was able to muscle his way inside for the layup (83-81). One minute later (2:20 left), the Ravens extended their lead to four (85-81) as freshman Bryson Huckeby scored on an open layup. The Yellow Jackets would not go away, though, as Defiance would tie the game at 85, with 1:22 left to play, as senior’s Te Jones and Marell Jordan were able to capitalize on short-range buckets. With forty-eight seconds left in double overtime, junior Jordan Gadis was able to regain the Anderson lead as he converted on an open layup, but once again, Defiance had a say. With twenty-one seconds left, junior Alex Hunt had a pair of free-throw opportunities for Anderson, with a 87-85 lead. Hunt splashed home the first free-throw, but missed the second. Defiance called a 30-second timeout immediately after the second missed free-throw, as senior Marell Jordan grabbed the defensive rebound. Defiance moved the ball around quickly, but they did not have much opportunity to score. With just five seconds left, senior Marell Jordan decided to chuck up a deep shot from straight-away, and he miraculously splashed home the deeply contested three-pointer to tie the game at 88. With just three-seconds remaining, the Ravens called a 30-second timeout of their own to try and set up a possible game-winning shot. Following the timeout, Anderson decided to place their trust in the hands of sophomore Tate Ivanyo, as he had made numerous clutch shots in the late stages of regulation and in the first overtime. Ivanyo dribbled the ball quickly cross-court, managing to create just enough separation for him to chuck up a deep three-pointer from atop the arc and unfortunately for the Yellow Jackets, the miracle shot splashed home for the Ravens, leaving Defiance fans stunned with the result. With all that in mind, Anderson took home the double overtime victory 91-88. The Ravens finished with four players in double-figures, including sophomore Tate Ivanyo (22), junior Alex Hunt (20), junior Camden Smith (18), and junior Jordan Gadis (11). Defiance finished with a trio of players in double-figures, including senior Marell Jordan (28), sophomore Landen Swanner (25), and senior Te Jones (22). Anderson shot 52.3% (34-65) from the field, while the Yellow Jackets shot 50.7% (34-67). Defiance shot 52.2% from three-point range, splashing home twelve threes on twenty-three attempts, while the Ravens shot 34.6% (9-26) from downtown. The Yellow Jackets shot 72.7% (8-11) from the charity stripe, while Anderson shot 41.2% (14-34). Anderson out-rebounded Defiance 41-38. Second-chance points made the difference in this contest, as the Ravens had a 18-7 advantage in the second-chance points category.
When senior Grant Johnson was asked by The Defender about his thoughts following Wednesday’s heartbreaking loss against Anderson, he expressed, “We have to find a way to keep our heads up throughout this difficult and unfortunate stretch. We battled hard against Bluffton last week and the same showed tonight against Anderson. We just need to continue to battle and the wins will start coming our way.“
1/14: Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology 77 (9-6), Defiance 57 (5-10)
Freshman #4 Cam Martin converts on an open layup vs Rose-Hulman
The Yellow Jackets men’s basketball team hosted the Rose-Hulman Fightin’ Engineers (HCAC conference opponent) Saturday afternoon at the Karl H. Weaner Center for a Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference matchup. The starters in this contest included (senior) Marell Jordan, (senior) Te Jones, (sophomore) Landen Swanner, (freshman) Evan Conrad, and (freshman) Ried Jury. Defiance started this contest off strong as they would go on a 7-0 scoring run, which was sparked by two layups from freshman Evan Conrad and a three-pointer from sophomore Landen Swanner. The Yellow Jackets lead would grow to as much as ten (13-3) with 16:24 left in the 1st half, thanks to a pair of (sophomore) Landen Swanner makes from downtown, The quick start for Defiance forced Rose-Hulman to take an early timeout. With 11:37 left in the first half, senior Te Jones knocked down a three-pointer of his own to give Defiance a 21-10 lead. At this point in the game the Yellow Jackets were feeling comfortable, but unfortunately this was the exact point the Fightin’ Engineers started to take over. In the remaining eleven minutes of the first half, Rose-Hulman outscored the Yellow Jackets 28-14 to take a 38-35 lead into the halftime break. A layup from sophomore Landen Swanner two minutes and twenty-six seconds into the second half, tied the game at 41. Senior Max Chaplin knocked down a big three pointer twenty-four seconds later (17:10 left) as he gave the Fightin’ Engineers a 44-41 lead. Rose-Hulman would slowly pull away in the ensuing moments and they would lead the rest of the way. With 13:50 left to play, Defiance was able to cut their deficit down to two (48-46) off a mid-range jump shot from freshman Cam Martin, but this would be as close as the Yellow Jackets would get in the remainder of the contest. Rose-Hulman used a 13-0 scoring run from the 10-minute mark of the second half to the 16-minute mark, to take a 20-point lead (73-53) with 4:03 remaining in the game. The 13-0 scoring run was capped off by a pair of free throws from sophomore Miles McGowen. The Fightin’ Engineers did not look back from this point on, as they took the victory 77-57. Rose-Hulman finished with a trio of players in double-figures, including senior Max Chaplin (26), sophomore Miles McGowen (16), and senior Terry Hicks (11). The Yellow Jackets also finished with three players in double-figures, including sophomore Landen Swanner (15), senior Te Jones (13), and senior Marell Jordan (12). The Fightin’ Engineers shot 46.8% (29-62) from the field, while Defiance shot 41.1% (23-56). Rose-Hulman knocked down ten shots from downtown (on twenty-four attempts), compared to the Yellow Jackets’ seven (on twenty-three attempts). The Fightin’ Engineers shot 75% (9-12) from the free-throw line, while Defiance shot 57.1% (4-7) from the charity stripe. The Yellow Jackets committed 18 turnovers in this contest, which resulted in 13 Rose-Hulman points. Rose-Hulman committed 11 turnovers, but Defiance was only able to convert those eleven turnovers into four points. The Fightin’ Engineers out-rebounded the Yellow Jackets 37-32, including a 26-22 defensive-rebound advantage. Rose-Hulman had 14 second-chance points compared to Defiance’s four.
Women’s Basketball: Wed. Jan. 11 and Sat. Jan. 14
1/11: Anderson University 87 (9-5), Defiance 73 (6-8)
The Defiance College women’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) Nicole Sims, (senior) Lexie Sparks, (junior) Kylie Brinkman, (junior) Cait Good, and (freshman) Kalista Friday. Forty-three seconds into the contest (9:17 left in the 1st quarter), freshman Kalista Friday dribbled her way past the Ravens defense for an easy layup to give Defiance an early 2-0 advantage. With 8:39 left in the opening quarter, graduate Lexi Dellinger splashed home a three-pointer for the Ravens, as she put up Anderson’s first points of the game. Following another layup from freshman Kalista Friday (7:05 left in the 1st), this time senior Jade Shipley connected on an open shot from downtown to give the Ravens a two point lead (6:53 left in the first quarter). Fifteen seconds later (6:38 left in the 1st quarter), freshman Kalista Friday scored once again, but this time from mid-range, which tied the game up at six. Nearly a minute later (5:14 left in the first quarter), freshman Lauren Smith splashed home the third triple of the contest for Anderson, to put the Ravens ahead 9-8. With fifty-two seconds left in the first quarter, senior Lexie Sparks connected on a mid-range jumper to give Defiance the lead back 18-17. Senior Jade Shipley capitalized off an open look from deep two-point range at the horn, which tied things up at twenty after ten minutes of play. Eighteen seconds into the second quarter (9:42 left), junior Makynlee Taylor put the Ravens back into the lead as she separated herself from her defender to convert a layup (22-20). With 8:05 left in the 2nd quarter, senior Taylor Steinbrunner splashed home a mid-range jumper to put Defiance back ahead 23-22. At the midway point of the second quarter, Anderson found themselves up by six (35-29). Twenty seconds past the midway point (4:40 left in the 2nd quarter), graduate Lexi Dellinger extended the Ravens lead to nine (38-29) as she connected on another three-pointer this time from the left wing. With 2:28 left in the second quarter, senior Taylor Steinbrunner made a much needed three-pointer for the Yellow Jackets, as she cut the deficit back to six (40-34). Dellinger hit her sixth three-pointer of the first half with 1:25 left in the 2nd quarter, which allowed the Ravens to hold a seven point lead. Graduate Taylor Day would connect on a pair of free-throws with one second left in the quarter, however, to cut the Yellow Jackets deficit to five (43-38) into the halftime break. The first basket of the second half would come one minute and two seconds into the third quarter (8:58 left in the 3rd), as graduate Lexi Dellinger connected on a pair of free-throws (45-38). Junior Cait Good responded to Dellinger’s pair of free-throws, as she splashed home a deep three-pointer from the right wing to cut the deficit to four (45-41). With 5:37 left in the third quarter, junior Kylie Brinkman connected on a corner triple off an assist from senior Nicole Sims, to trim the Anderson lead to just one (47-46). The Ravens followed up Brinkman’s three-pointer with a 5-0 scoring run to stretch their lead back to six (52-46). Senior Taylor Steinbrunner was able to end the Anderson scoring run as she splashed home a deep jump shot from atop the arc (52-48). Both teams went back and forth for the remainder of the third quarter and most of the fourth quarter, as the Ravens only held a lead of five (68-63) with 5:45 left to play. With 5:37 left, graduate Lexi Dellinger connected on her seventh three-pointer of the contest (first of the second half), this time from the left wing, as she expanded the Anderson lead to eight (71-63). Thirty seconds later (5:07 left), freshman Kalista Friday fouled Dellinger moments after she committed a turnover, and Lexi converted on both free-throws from the charity stripe (73-63). Senior Taylor Steinbrunner helped the Yellow Jackets cut the deficit back to single digits with 4:53 left, but shortly after (4:44 left) Lexi Dellinger expanded Anderson’s lead back to double-digits (75-65). Defiance had a handful of opportunities to cut into the Ravens lead in the final four and a half minutes of play, but in the end, Anderson was just too much for the Yellow Jackets to handle as the Ravens were victorious 87-73. Anderson finished with a trio of players in double-digits, including graduate Lexi Dellinger (37), freshman Lauren Smith (17), and senior Jade Shipley (15). The Yellow Jackets also finished with a trio of players in double-figures, including senior Taylor Steinbrunner (20), freshman Kalista Friday (17), and senior Lexie Sparks (13). The Ravens shot 49.2% (29-59) from the field, while Defiance shot 39.7% (31-78). Anderson hit 15 threes on the contest (on 32 attempts) for 46.9%, while the Yellow Jackets shot 22.7% (5-22) from downtown. Defiance shot an impressive 85.7% (6-7) from the free-throw line, compared to the Ravens 82.4% (14-17). The Yellow Jackets out-rebounded Anderson 40-37.
When senior Nicole Sims was asked by The Defender about her thoughts following Wednesday’s loss at Anderson, she expressed, “We played hard tonight, but we just did not hit our open shots. We have to give the Ravens credit for shooting the ball so well tonight. At the end of the night, we did not get the outcome we wanted. Our effort was there and we played well as a team. We are going to make some adjustments and be ready to play them again.“
1/14: Miami-Hamilton University 62 (9-9), Defiance 59 (6-9)
Freshman #11 Ali Mowen dribbles the ball up the court vs Miami-Hamilton
The Yellow Jackets women’s basketball team welcomed the Miami-Hamilton Harriers to the Karl H. Weaner Center Saturday afternoon for a non-conference showdown. The starters in this contest included (graduate) Taylor Day, (senior) Taylor Steinbrunner, (senior) Nicole Sims, (junior) McKenzie Cooper, and (freshman) Kalista Friday. It turned out to be a slow start and finish in this contest for Defiance, as they fell behind 27-17 early in the second quarter. Miami-Hamilton would record the first five points of the second, as they opened up to their ten-point lead of 27-17. This ten-point lead for the Harriers would be the largest lead of the game for either team. Minutes later, Defiance found themselves down nine (30-21) with 5:34 remaining until the halftime break. The Yellow Jackets would go on a 12-0 scoring run to gather the lead with just over a minute left in the first half. Freshman Kalista Friday got the 13-0 scoring run for Defiance started as she converted on a mid-range jumper and that was followed by consecutive layups from senior Lexie Sparks. On the second make, Sparks turned a layup into an old-fashioned 3-point play thanks to a Miami-Hamilton foul, which pulled Defiance within two. On their next possession, the Harriers went one-and-done, as Sparks grabbed the defensive rebound. After grabbing the defensive rebound Sparks found junior Cait Good for a go-ahead triple to put the Yellow Jackets up by one (31-30). After trading baskets at the end of the second quarter, Defiance took a 35-34 lead into the halftime break. Graduate Taylor Day and senior Taylor Steinbrunner led Defiance in third quarter scoring as they combined to score 13 of the Yellow Jackets 14 points in the quarter. A layup from graduate Taylor Day and made free-throw from junior Cait Good late in the third quarter, put Defiance ahead by five (49-44) entering the final ten minutes of play. Graduate Taylor Day opened the fourth quarter by scoring her last basket of the contest (8:29 left) off a deep-range jump-shot, which provided Defiance with a seven point lead (51-44). Following Day’s jumper, Miami-Hamilton took off on an 11-3 scoring run, thanks to a pair of layups and a free-throw from junior Shalaya Heath, a jumper from sophomore Laci Reinhart, a layup from sophomore A’Vyonna Kinsey, and a layup from sophomore Emma Miller, to give the Harriers a one-point lead (55-54). With 2:35 left to play, senior Nicole Sims found an open lane to the basket for a layup to return the lead to Defiance (56-55), but that was immediately answered by a 3-pointer from sophomore Laci Reinhart. Reinhart’s three put Miami-Hamilton ahead by two (58-56) with 2:17 left to play. Over the next minute, both teams traded free throws to bring the score to (60-58) with 1:43 remaining. After the Harriers missed a 3-pointer (1:21 left), graduate Taylor Day missed a jumper of her own on the other end, which was unfortunately rebounded by Miami-Hamilton. Senior Taylor Steinbrunner with twenty seconds left to play, stole the ball from Harriers sophomore Laci Reinhart, which led to a Yellow Jackets timeout. Out of the timeout, Defiance found junior Cait Good for an open look from downtown, but the shot unfortunately did not fall. Sophomore Laci Reinhart picked up the defensive rebound and was immediately fouled by Defiance senior Nicole Sims, to send the Harriers back to the free throw line with just eight seconds left on the clock (60-58). Fortunately for the Yellow Jackets, Reinhart missed both free-throws and Defiance was able to use their final timeout with seven seconds left. Looking to tie the game on the ensuing possession, junior Kylie Brinkman was fouled in the paint with just three seconds left. Brinkman split the pair of shots from the free-throw line to bring Defiance within one (60-59). Defiance was short on time and points at that point, as a foul by Taylor Day led to two more Miami-Hamilton free throws, which pushed the Harriers lead to three (62-59) with one second left. With only one second remaining, the Yellow Jackets were unable to put up a shot and therefore Miami-Hamilton took the victory 62-59. The Harriers finished with two players in double-figures including sophomore A’Vyonna Kinsey with 14 and sophomore Laci Reinhart with 10 points. Defiance finished with a trio of players in double-figures including graduate Taylor Day (15), junior Cait Good (11), and senior Lexie Sparks (10). The Yellow Jackets shot 38.6% (22-57) from the field, while Miami-Hamilton shot 36.2% (21-58). Both teams made six shots from downtown, as Defiance made six on twenty attempts (30%) and the Harriers made six on twenty-two attempts (27.3%). Both teams struggled from the charity stripe, as Miami-Hamilton shot 63.6% (14-22) and the Yellow Jackets shot 50% (9-18) from the free-throw line. Defiance committed 18 turnovers in this contest, which led to 18 points for the Harriers. Miami-Hamilton committed 15 turnovers, but the Yellow Jackets were only able to score nine points off the Harriers mistakes. Defiance out-rebounded Miami-Hamilton 42-40, including a 30-28 defensive-rebound advantage. Fast-break points made the difference in this contest as the Harriers dominated this category 16-2.
Men’s Track & Field: Sat. Jan. 14
The Defiance College men’s track & field team traveled to Angola, Indiana, Saturday afternoon for the Sean Brady Alumni Invitational at Trine University. Thirteen schools competed in the Sean Brady Alumni Invitational including Trine University, Goshen College, Adrian College, Albion College, St. Francis University, Grace College, Olivet College, Lewis University, Marian University, Indiana Institute of Technology, Purdue Fort Wayne University, and St. Xavier University. Freshman Isaac Miler finished tied for 37th in the 60 meter dash with a time of 7.52, while freshman Landon Sensmeier finished 62nd in the 60 meter dash with a time of 7.99. Freshman Marlon Brown finished fifth in the 400 meter dash with a time of 52.11, while sophomore Jonathan Wright-Daniel finished 14th in the 400 meter dash with a time of 55.58. Brown also finished 10th in the 200 meter dash, while Wright-Daniel finished 38th. Sophomore Gavin Maratea finished 24th in the 400 meter dash with a time of 58.40 and he also finished 48th in the 200 meter dash. Junior Ron Scott finished 26th in shot put.
Women’s Track & Field: Sat. Jan. 14
The Yellow Jackets women’s track & field team traveled to Angola, Indiana, Saturday afternoon for the Sean Brady Alumni Invitational at Trine University. Thirteen schools competed in the Sean Brady Alumni Invitational including Trine University, Goshen College, Adrian College, Albion College, St. Francis University, Grace College, Olivet College, Lewis University, Marian University, Indiana Institute of Technology, Purdue Fort Wayne University, and St. Xavier University. Senior Lisa-Maria Markau finished ninth in the 60 meter dash with a time of 8.11 seconds, while sophomore Hailei Haynes participated in the 60 meter hurdle and finished 12th with a time of 10.47 seconds. Sophomore Ashanti Elkins finished 14th in the 400 meter race with a time of 1:07.94, while another sophomore Lexi Coward finished 31st in the 400 meter race with a time of 1:33.02. Lexi also finished 22nd in the 800 meter race with a time of 3:38.62. Senior Brianna Snider finished 21st in the 800 meter race with a time of 3:29.25, while freshman Shyla Pemberton finished 27th in the 200 meter dash with a time of 29.57.
Wrestling: Sat. Jan. 14
The Defiance College wrestling team traveled to Manchester, Indiana, Saturday morning for the Spartan Mat Classic at Manchester University. Among 23 schools participating, the Yellow Jackets posted 9.0 team points for 18th best. Wabash College placed first with 153.5 points. Three wrestlers recorded points for the Yellow Jackets, led by senior Jack Minner with a pair of victories. Competing at 184 pounds, Minner pinned his opening-round opponent in 51 seconds. He unfortunately fell by fall in the second round in 2:43 to the 184 champion (sophomore) Nicholas Brashear from Huntingdon College. Minner won his third match by pin in 1:03. To wrap up Minner’s day in the third round of the 184 consolation, he was taken down by fall. Senior Alejandro Castro received a bye and lost his first round match before he turned in a victory via fall in 1:36. Castro was pinned in his third match in 25 seconds to finish 1-2 for the day. Senior heavyweight Rigo Villa competed in the 285 weight bracket and he picked up his first win of the year by an 8-1 decision over Manchester senior Nico Torres. He dropped his next two by fall to finish the competition with a 1-2 personal record. Freshman Lesley Fleurissaint (285), freshman Kelvin Ruffin (197), sophomore Joey Perez (184), sophomore Kliever Joseph (149), junior Brent Eicher (149), and freshman Brandon Ruiz (141), were all bounced after two defeats in their respective weight classes.
Home
Wednesday, Jan. 18
Women’s Basketball (6-9) vs Earlham College (1-13)
Location: Karl H. Weaner Center
(7:30 pm)
Friday, Jan. 20
Men’s Track & Field (Defiance Invite)
Location: George M. Smart Center
(3:00 pm)
Women’s Track & Field (Defiance Invite)
Location: George M. Smart Center
(3:00 pm)
Away
Wednesday, Jan. 18
Men’s Basketball (5-10) at Earlham College (2-13)
(7:30 pm)
Saturday, Jan. 21
Wrestling at Case Western Reserve University (Dr. Si Ostrach Duals)
(11:00 am)
Women’s Basketball (6-9) at Franklin College (6-8)
Director: Matthew Warchus Where to watch: Netflix By: Mallory Timbrook
This is a musical. It has singing, like all musicals. Matilda the Musical is a film made for children and families, but the combination of humor, sass, and defiance makes it an excellent movie for adults.
Initially, I was a little worried and thought I would hate the film, but boy, was I wrong. Emma Thompson took on the absolutely iconic role of Miss Trunchbull, and she slayed. What a versatile queen. She had big shoes to fill, but she did exceptionally well. I wonder if she has a fear of newts after filming.
Lashana Lynch, who most will recognize from Captain Marvel and Dr. Strange: Multiverse of Magic, starred as the sweet and loving Miss Honey. I was worried about her singing ability. Way too many actors think they can sing, and most of them can not, but she did wonderfully. Lynch, who has primarily acted in action films, was a gentle Miss Honey who is the definition of cottage core.
The adorable young lady who played Matilda, Alisha Weir, was an absolute delight. She had such an angelic voice and was more defiant than Matilda from the 1996 film. Matilda’s parents in the musical can never live up to Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman from the original film, but they did their best.
The true star of the film, though, was Bruce Bogtrotter. Played by Charlie Hodson-Prior, he slayed. His final song almost moved me to tears (not really, but it could’ve). What a bop; it should definitely be on a Top 100 list.
All in all, if you’re a sucker for cute family films or musicals, this movie is great. I’m sure if you watch it on your next date night, you will get some points in the ‘sweet’ category from your significant other. Is this movie going to win an Oscar? Definitely not, but it might make your heart a little happy and destress your brain from the effects of college.
Verity, by New York Times Best Selling Author, Colleen Hoover, leaves readers amazed at what the next plot twist will be. This story starts out in Manhattan and then switches over to Vermont, followed by a move to North Carolina. This book continually makes the reader question what will happen next as well as what the truth actually is.
Lowen Ashleigh is a writer, not a writer that is extremely famous, but a writer that manages to write and make enough money not to have to get a day-to-day job. After spending the last few months taking care of her mother, she is just barely dodging a financial crisis. A brief encounter with a stranger, Jeremy Crawford, on the morning of an important meeting with a new publisher gets her foot in the door for a new opportunity. An opportunity that brings her a little ways out of her comfort zone, finishing a series for an esteemed author, Verity Crawford, that was injured in an accident. Accepting the offer is just the beginning of a story that Lowen didn’t know she would be getting herself into. She shows up at Verity’s mansion and gets ready to sort through years worth of notes and outlines. Sifting through the notes seems to be going smoothly, that is, until she finds a manuscript of an unfinished autobiography written by none other than Verity herself. Lowen decides to keep the bone-chilling manuscript from Jeremy, a father that suffered from two horrific losses. Realizing that her feelings for Jeremy were growing the more time that she spent there, she comes to the conclusion that showing Jeremy the manuscript might be the last piece to get him away from Verity and fall for her.
This story kept my attention to the very last page. The plot twists and turns were almost impossible to follow. This book has left me thinking about the ending since I finished it. My mouth literally dropped reading the last ten or so pages. I have no words for how well this book was written and kept the reader’s attention. I literally could not put it down and finished it in one sitting.
Overall, I give this book a 5/5 because there was no way to predict the ending. This book was a real page-turner.
1/4: Bluffton University 70 (4-8), Defiance 69 (5-7)
Sophomore #30 Landen Swanner fights his way to the rim at Bluffton
The Defiance College men’s basketball team traveled to Bluffton, Ohio, Wednesday evening for a matchup against HCAC conference rival, the Bluffton Beavers. The starters in this contest included (senior) Kiewaun Graham, (sophomore) Landen Swanner, (freshman) Jordyn Jury, (freshman) Ried Jury, and (freshman) Cole Wojciechowski. One minute and five seconds into the contest, sophomore Conner Martin scored the first points of the contest for either team, as he capitalized on an open lane to the rim for the layup. Forty-three seconds later (18:12 left in the 1st), sophomore Tanner Swanner scored the Yellow Jackets first points of the game, as he fought his way to the rim to tie the game at two. With 14:27 left in the first half, sophomore Tanner Swanner was able to connect once again, but this time from three-point range to tie the game at eight. One minute and two seconds later (13:25 left in the 1st), senior Kegan Owen splashed home his own shot from downtown, to give the Beavers the lead back 11-8. Following a media timeout with 11:41 left in the first half, senior Jerome Johnson connected on a deep three-pointer of his own, to tie the game once again, this time at eleven (11:26 left in the 1st). With 9:06 left in the first half, sophomore Landen Swanner converted on a shot from downtown, even with Bluffton’s freshman Brady Wheeler in his face, to give Defiance the lead back 16-13. Most of the remaining nine minutes of the first half were tight, with both teams exchanging small leads, but Defiance would end the half on a 7-2 scoring run to take a 35-31 lead into the locker room. The 7-2 run consisted of a (sophomore) Landon Swanner three-pointer, a layup from (senior) Kiewaun Graham, and (freshman) a Cam Martin dunk. Freshman Brady Wheeler was the first player for either team to score in the second half, as he was able to capitalize on a bit of open space in the Defiance defense to knock down a mid-range jumper and cut the Beavers deficit to two (35-33). Sixteen seconds later (16:20 left), freshman Jordyn Jury responded to Wheeler’s basket as he found his way to the rim for the open layup, to push the Yellow Jackets lead back to four (37-33). With 18:42 left, freshman Brady Wheeler came up strong once again, as he splashed home a deep three-pointer from the right wing, to cut the Bluffton deficit even further, down to one (37-36). At the midway point of the second half, the Beavers found themselves ahead slightly 53-52. Neither team would score for nearly the next two and a half minutes, before freshman Brady Wheeler connected on a pair of free-throws with 7:58 left, off a foul by Defiance senior Dejsani Beamon (55-52). Senior Te Jones made two free-throws of his own twenty-five seconds later (7:33 left), to cut the Defiance deficit to one (55-54). Following a (senior) successful Te Jones mid-range junpshot, the Yellow Jackets found themselves up by four (66-62) with only 2:49 left to play. With 2:33 left, sophomore Conner Martin capitalized off a foul by Defiance freshman Cam Martin, to cut the Bluffton deficit to three (66-63). One minute and nine seconds later (1:24 left), sophomore Landen Swanner splashed home a mid-range jump shot, which provided the Yellow Jackets with a five-point lead (68-63). Following a media timeout with 1:15 left, freshman Brady Wheeler went on a 5-0 scoring run of his own in the next thirty-nine seconds to tie the game at 68 with only 0:36 left. Defiance decided to draw up a play with fourteen seconds left in the game, and senior Dejsani Beamon was fouled by Bluffton sophomore Conner Martin, which presented Beamon with a one-and-one. Beamon hit the first free-throw to give Defiance the lead back 69-68, but he missed the second. Senior Ryan Rose of Bluffton grabbed the defensive rebound, which allowed Bluffton with the opportunity to tie or win the game with the next possession. With nine seconds left, Bluffton freshman Brady Wheeler settled for a deep three-pointer and missed, but the ball flew around and landed directly in the arms of senior Kegan Owen for the offensive rebound. A few moments after collecting the offensive rebound, Owen was fouled by Defiance senior Te Jones with just five seconds remaining. Owen went to the line and drained both free throws, to give Bluffton the lead 70-69. Defiance still had a chance to win it, but they were unable to get a shot off, and therefore Bluffton stunned the Yellow Jackets with a 70-69 victory. The Beavers finished with a pair of players in double-figures, including freshman Brady Wheeler with 21 points and senior Kegan Owen with 20. Defiance finished with a trio of players in double-figures, including sophomore Landen Swanner (23), senior Jerome Johnson (15), and senior Te Jones (13). There were 22 ties and 28 lead changes throughout the contest. Bluffton shot 56.8% (25-44) from the field, while Defiance shot 48.1% (25-52). The Yellow Jackets shot 55.6% (10-18) from three-point range, while the Beavers shot 40% (6-15) from downtown. Bluffton shot 82.4% (14-17) from the free-throw line, compared to Defiance’s 75% (9-12) from the charity stripe. The Beavers out-rebounded the Yellow Jackets 32-18. Defiance recorded five more assists (15-10) in the contest than Bluffton did. The Beavers recorded 20 turnovers, with the Yellow Jackets gaining 23 points off Bluffton’s turnovers. Defiance recorded 13 turnovers, with the Beavers gaining 12 points off Yellow Jacket turnovers. Bluffton had a slight advantage in the points in the paint category, 32-28. Defiance’s bench outscored Bluffton’s bench 37-6.
When senior Grant Johnson was asked by The Defender about his thoughts following Wednesday’s heartbreaking loss at rival Bluffton, he expressed, “We played our hearts out tonight. We did not give up regardless of the many ups and downs that occurred throughout this game. We stayed together and played well as a group, but we just could not come up with the victory. Now we reset our focus for Transylvania and the future games ahead.“
1/7: Transylvania University 76 (6-7), Defiance 62 (5-8)
Senior #24 Te Jones splashes home a three-pointer vs Transylvania
The Yellow Jackets men’s basketball team welcomed the Transylvania Pioneers to the Karl H. Weaner Center Saturday afternoon for an HCAC conference showdown. The starters in this contest included (senior) Marell Jordan, (sophomore) Landen Swanner, (freshman) Jordyn Jury, (freshman) Ried Jury, and (freshman) Cole Wojciechowski. Twenty-four seconds into the game (19:36 left in the 1st half), sophomore Hunter Penn found separation in the Defiance defense to put the Pioneers on the scoreboard first (2-0). Twenty-seven seconds later (19:09 left in the 1st), freshman Dakota Capps drove coast-to-coast following a Yellow Jackets missed layup (freshman Cole Wojciechowski) to stretch the Transylvania lead to four (4-0). With 18:52 left in the first half, freshman Cole Wojciechowski would be the first Yellow Jacket to put his name on the scoreboard, as he connected on a layup off an assist from freshman Ried Jury (4-2). Transylvania would jump out to a 12-4 lead with 15:54 left in the first half. A three by senior Te Jones with 10:02 remaining in the first half, would give Defiance their only lead of the game at 24-22. Transylvania immediately responded to Defiance’s first lead of the contest, as the Pioneers went on a 9-0 run to take a 31-24 lead with 6:28 left in the first half. Transylvania closed the final six minutes of the first half with a 16-4 scoring run to take a sixteen-point lead (47-31) at the halftime break. Twenty-six of the forty-seven first-half points for the Pioneers came from inside the paint. The big difference in the first half was second-chance points, as Transylvania had a 11-2 advantage in the second-chance category over the Yellow Jackets. Going into the first media timeout of the second half, Defiance still trailed the Pioneers by 16. Transylvania had a lead of 20 at the second media timeout and they would lead by as many as 24 in the second half. The Yellow Jackets finished the final two minutes and thirty-eight seconds of the game on a 9-0 run, as sophomore Landen Swanner, junior Sherod Brooks, and freshman Cam Martin, each knocked down a shot from downtown. The Pioneers lead was just too much for the Yellow Jackets, as Transylvania took the victory 76-62. The Pioneers finished with a trio of players in double-figures, including junior Jaylan Green (14), sophomore Matthew Teague (10), and freshman Daniel Mullins (10). Senior Te Jones was the only Yellow Jacket in double-figures as he finished with 13 points. Transylvania shot 46.6% (27-58) from the field, while Defiance shot 39.7% (23-58). The Yellow Jackets made nine three-pointers on twenty-five attempts for 36%, while the Pioneers hit six shots from beyond the arc on twenty-three attempts for 26.1%. Transylvania shot 80% (16-20) from the free-throw line, while Defiance shot 63.6% (7-11). The Pioneers out-rebounded the Yellow Jackets 40-32.
Women’s Basketball: Wed. Jan. 4 and Sat. Jan. 7
1/4: Bluffton University 81 (8-4), Defiance 48 (6-6)
Senior #20 Lexie Sparks scores a contested layup at Bluffton
The Defiance College women’s basketball team traveled to Bluffton, Ohio, Wednesday evening to take on HCAC conference rival, the Bluffton Beavers. The starters in this contest included (senior) Nicole Sims, (senior) Lexie Sparks, (senior) Taylor Steinbrunner, (junior) McKenzie Cooper, and (junior) Cait Good. Fifty-two seconds into the contest, senior Sammy Shardo splashed one home from downtown, to give the Beavers an early 3-0 lead. Sixteen seconds later (8:52 left in the 1st), junior Cait Good scored the Yellow Jackets first points as she found her way to the rim for the open layup, to cut the deficit to one (3-2). One minute and fourteen seconds later (7:38 left in the 1st), senior Taylor Steinbrunner secured an open lane to the bucket off an assist from junior McKenzie Cooper, to give Defiance their first lead of the contest at 4-3. With 6:58 left in the 1st, sophomore Kayla Prigge connected on a deep shot from three-point range, to return the lead back to Bluffton 6-4. Ten seconds later (6:48 left in the 1st), senior Lexie Sparks capitalized off a Beavers turnover to tie the game back up once again at 6. At the midway point of the first quarter, Bluffton held a slight lead over the Yellow Jackets 10-8. With 4:18 left in the 1st, junior Kylie Brinkman scored from mid-range following a missed shot from Bluffton senior Morgan Smith, to tie the game up at 10. The Beavers would end the first quarter on a 11-1 scoring run, which changed the motive for the rest of the game. The Beavers momentum continued into the second quarter as they outscored the Yellow Jackets 23-7, to stretch their lead out to twenty-six (44-18) into the halftime break. Freshman Kyla Columber recorded an incredible six threes in the first half, on just seven attempts, to give her the high-scoring honor with 18. Thirty-one seconds into the third quarter (9:29 left in the 3rd), sophomore Olivia Zender scored the first points of the second half for either team, as she connected on a deep three-pointer from the left wing (47-18). Nearly two minutes into the third quarter (8:07 left in the 3rd), the Yellow Jackets finally made their way onto the scoreboard as senior Taylor Steinbrunner capitalized on an open lane to the rim for the layup, to cut Defiance’s deficit to twenty-nine (49-20). The Beavers momentum continued for the remainder of the contest, as Bluffton outscored Defiance 37-30 in the second half. Bluffton’s 81 points were a season-high for the Beavers offense and the most Defiance has allowed in a game this season as well. Freshman Kyla Columber led all players in scoring with 26 points, including a single-game school record eight made three-pointers (on just nine attempts) for Bluffton. The previous record was seven, which stood since 2014. Two other players finished in double-figures for Bluffton including senior Morgan Smith who scored 12 and senior Sammy Shardo with 10. Graduate Taylor Day led Defiance scorers with 10 points, while freshman Zadria King posted a career-high seven points in late-game action. Bluffton shot 46.7% (28-60) from the field, while Defiance shot 31.1% (19-61). The Beavers shot 50% (16-32) from three-point range, while the Yellow Jackets shot 7.1% (1-14) from downtown. Bluffton shot a perfect 9-9 from the charity stripe, while Defiance shot 56.3% (9-16) from the free-throw line. The Beavers out-rebounded the Yellow Jackets 44-33. Bluffton’s bench outscored Defiance’s bench 57-37.
When junior McKenzie Cooper was asked by The Defender about her thoughts following Wednesday’s loss at rival Bluffton, she expressed, “It was tough to compete with a team that was shooting that hot from behind the 3-pt line. We are going to make some adjustments at practice this Thursday and Friday in order to help us prepare for this Saturday’s matchup against nationally ranked Transylvania and for the rest of the season. Additionally, I think our younger girls came in and executed well and played hard in the late stages of tonight’s contest.“
1/7: Transylvania University 70 (14-0), Defiance 40 (6-7)
Freshman #4 Kalista Friday scores over a Pioneer defender Saturday afternoon vs Transylvania
The Yellow Jackets women’s basketball team hosted the #3 nationally ranked Transylvania Pioneers Saturday afternoon at the Karl H. Weaner Center for an HCAC conference showdown. The starters in this contest included (senior) Nicole Sims, (senior) Lexie Sparks, (junior) McKenzie Cooper, (junior) Kylie Brinkman, and (junior) Cait Good. Fourteen seconds into the game (9:46 left in the 1st quarter), senior Kennedi Stacy splashed home a deep three-pointer from the left wing to give the Pioneers an early 3-0 lead. Twenty seconds later (9:26 left in the 1st), senior Lexie Sparks found her way to the rim for an open layup as she dribbled her way past Transylvania senior Kennedi Stacy to cut the Yellow Jackets deficit to one (3-2). Sparks would score the first six points of the contest for the Yellow Jackets as she scored on two layups and a mid-range jumper. Defiance trailed 8-6 with 7:24 left in the first quarter, but the Pioneers would go on a 7-0 scoring run in the next two minutes (5:24 left in the 1st) to extend their lead to nine (15-6). Transylvania would lead by as much as thirteen (25-12) in the opening quarter, but the Yellow Jackets would trim the deficit to ten (26-16) by the end of the first quarter. The second quarter started off slow for both teams, but the Pioneers would turn up the heat in the final five minutes of the second half, as Transylvania went on a 15-5 scoring run to take a twenty point lead into the locker room (41-21). Defiance shot cold from the floor in the second quarter, as they shot just 2-for-11 after an 8-for-13 start in the first quarter. To open the third quarter, senior Dasia Thornton connected on an open layup (9:08 left in the 3rd) to help stretch the Pioneers lead to twenty-two (43-21). The Yellow Jackets would not score until the one minute and twenty second mark of the third (8:40 left in the 3rd), as senior Lexie Sparks would score on a contested mid-range jump shot from the right wing. The Pioneers outscored Defiance 20-13 in the third quarter, to extend their lead to twenty-seven (61-34) into the fourth quarter. Both teams played their benches for most of the fourth quarter, where Transylvania outscored Defiance 9-6. Graduate Taylor Day, senior Lexie Sparks, and junior Cait Good, each made a basket in the fourth quarter. The Pioneers finished with four players in double-figures including senior Laken Ball (18), senior Madison Kellione (15), senior Kennedi Stacy (13), and senior Dasia Thornton (12). Senior Lexie Sparks was the lone Yellow Jacket in double-figures with 12 points. Transylvania shot 40% (26-65) from the field, while Defiance shot 34.7% (17-49). The Pioneers hit eleven three-pointers on thirty-nine attempts for 28.2%, while Defiance shot 15.4% (2-13) from downtown. The Yellow Jackets shot 66.7% (4-6) from the charity stripe, while Transylvania shot 50% (7-14). Defiance committed nineteen turnovers in this contest and the Pioneers capitalized off of them by scoring thirteen points, Transylvania had a similar fifteen turnovers, but the Yellow Jackets were only able to score four points of the Pioneers mistakes. Defiance’s bench outscored Transylvania’s bench 22-12. The Pioneers out-rebounded the Yellow Jackets 49-24.
Wrestling: Sat. Jan. 7
The Defiance College wrestling team traveled to Waynesburg, Pennsylvania, Saturday morning to take part in the Waynesburg Invitational at Waynesburg University. Eleven schools competed in the Waynesburg Invitational including Heidelberg University, Fairmont State University, Johns Hopkins University, Penn College, Alma College, Waynesburg University, Washington and Jefferson College, Alderson Broaddus University, Muskingum University, and Glenville State University. Defiance came away with two top-six finishers, but as a team, the Yellow Jackets finished 10th after accumulating 29.5 points. Senior Alejandro Castro finished fourth in the 157 weight class, as he went 4-2 on the day. Castro lost in the quarterfinal but advanced three times through the consolation grouping, which included a victory by fall in 46 seconds following his first defeat, before he was pinned in the third place match. Senior Seth Majewski came up with a sixth-place finish in the 133 pound bracket, as he won each of his matches, but surrendered three straight by medical forfeit. Junior Shamique Bryant competed in the 149 pound bracket where he won his opening match before dropping his next two. Freshman Jake Scoville and sophomore Kliever Joseph were both knocked out after back-to-back losses in the 149 pound weight class. Sophomore Joey Perez won his first match in the 197 weight class before he was dropped in the quarterfinals by a pin in 56 seconds. Perez went the distance in his first consolation match, but in the end, he was defeated by an 8-0 decision. In the heavyweight, freshman Lesly Fleurissaint narrowly lost by an 8-7 decision in the second round of his weight class, before he was pinned down in 2:52. Freshman Kelvin Ruffin went 0-2 in the 197 weight class, as did junior Brent Eicher in the 157 weight class, and freshman Brandon Ruiz in the 141 bracket.
Home
Wednesday, Jan. 11
Men’s Basketball (5-8) vs Anderson University (8-5)
Location: Karl H. Weaner Center
(7:30 pm)
Saturday, Jan. 14
Men’s Basketball (5-8) vs Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology (7-6)
Location: Karl H. Weaner Center
(1:00 pm)
Women’s Basketball (6-7) vs Miami-Hamilton University (7-9)
Location: Karl H. Weaner Center
(3:00 pm)
Away
Wednesday, Jan. 11
Women’s Basketball (6-7) at Anderson University (8-5)
(7:30 pm)
Saturday, Jan. 14
Wrestling at Manchester University (Spartan Mat Classic)
(10:00 am)
Men’s Track & Field at Trine University (Sean Brady Alumni Invitational)
(12:00 pm)
Women’s Track & Field at Trine University (Sean Brady Alumni Invitational)
Defiance 55 (6-5), Mount St. Joseph University 39 (4-6)
Senior #32 Taylor Steinbrunner drives to the bucket vs Mount St. Joseph
The Defiance College women’s basketball team hosted the Mount St. Joseph Lions (HCAC conference opponent) Saturday afternoon at the Karl H. Weaner Center for a special New Years’ Eve Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference matchup. The starters in this contest included (senior) Nicole Sims, (senior) Lexie Sparks, (junior) McKenzie Cooper, (junior) Kylie Brinkman, and (junior) Cait Good. Senior Lexie Sparks scored the first points of the contest for the Yellow Jackets thirty-five seconds in as she was able to connect on a mid-range jumper to give Defiance an early 2-0 advantage. Twenty-one seconds later (9:25 left in the 1st), junior Kylie Brinkman stole the ball from Lions junior Ellie Oldendick, and drove all the way to the basket for a Yellow Jackets layup (4-0). With 8:12 left in the first quarter, junior Ellie Oldendick splashed home a three-pointer from the right wing for Mount St. Joseph, to help the Lions reach the scoreboard (4-3). Nearly two minutes later (6:11 left in the 1st), senior Chloe Jansen gave Mount St. Joseph their first lead of the contest, as she capitalized on an open layup (5-4). Both teams remained scoreless for the next two minutes, before freshman Karlee Mills connected on a deep shot from downtown, to stretch the Lions lead to four (8-4). With 3:24 left in the 1st, Mount St. Joseph concluded their 10-0 scoring run with another basket from Mills, this time coming from inside the paint (10-4). In the next minute and a half (1:57 left in the 1st), graduate Taylor Day went on her own 5-0 scoring run as she scored on a pair of layups and a free throw (10-9). With 1:02 left in the 1st, senior Nicole Sims connected on an open layup to tie the game at eleven. Both teams had a few open looks at the basket in the final minute of the first, but neither team was able to connect. Twenty-one seconds into the second quarter, junior Ellie Oldendick splashed home another three-pointer (this time from the left wing) to give Mount St. Joseph the lead back 14-11. Fifty-three seconds later (8:46 left in the 2nd), senior Chloe Jansen for the Lions connected on an old-fashioned three-point play, which extended the Mount St. Joseph lead to six (17-11). With 7:41 left in the 2nd, freshman Kalista Friday scored her first points of the contest via a long-range jump shot, to cut the deficit to four (17-13). The rest of the second quarter went back and forth, with the score being tied at nineteen into the half break. Just like the start of the first quarter, senior Lexie Sparks began the third quarter by scoring the first points of the second half, as she drove to the rim for an open layup to give the Yellow Jackets the lead 21-19. Spark’s layup began what would eventually lead to a 6-0 Defiance scoring run (25-19). At the midway point of the third quarter, Defiance maintained a slim advantage over the Lions 31-30. Beginning at the 6:07 mark of the third (3:53 left) and ending at the 6:57 mark, freshman Kalista Friday went on a quick 4-0 scoring run of her own, as she connected on a mid-range jump shot and an open layup, to give Defiance a five-point lead (35-30). With just two seconds left in the third quarter, senior Taylor Steinbrunner splashed home a mid-range jump shot for Defiance, to give the Yellow Jackets a four-point lead (39-35) to start the fourth quarter. Thirty-two seconds into the fourth quarter, freshman Emily Elliot found her way to the rim for a layup, as she cut the Defiance lead to two (39-37). With 7:47 left in the contest, junior McKenzie Cooper splashed home a mid-range jumper to stretch the Yellow Jackets lead back to four (41-37). Defiance outscored the Lions 15-4 in the fourth quarter, which helped give the Yellow Jackets the comfortable victory 55-39. Defiance finished with a pair of players in double-figures, including freshman Kalista Friday (14) and senior Taylor Steinbrunner (10). Junior Ellie Oldendick (14) was the lone double-digit scorer for Mount St. Joseph in this contest. The Yellow Jackets shot 39.6% (21-53), while Mount St Joseph shot 20.3% (13-64). The Lions shot 17.6% (6-34) from three-point range, while Defiance failed to make any baskets from downtown, shooting 0-10. Mount St. Joseph shot 70% (7-10) from the free-throw line, while Defiance shot 68.4% (13-19) from the charity stripe. The Yellow Jackets out-rebounded the Lions 47-42. Defiance’s bench outscored the Mount St. Joseph bench 37-7.
Men’s Basketball: Sat. Dec. 31
Mount St. Joseph University 67 (3-9), Defiance 34 (5-6)
The Yellow Jackets men’s basketball team traveled to Cincinnati, Ohio, Saturday afternoon for a special New Years’ Eve HCAC conference showdown against the Mount St. Joseph Lions. The starters in this contest included (senior) Marell Jordan, (senior) Te Jones, (senior) Dejsani Beamon, (sophomore) Landen Swanner, and (freshman) Evan Conrad. One minute and nineteen seconds into the game (18:41 left in the 1st), senior Dejsani Beamon scored the first points of the contest for the Yellow Jackets as he converted on a jump shot from mid-range to tie the game at two early. The Lions followed Beamon’s bucket with a quick 4-0 scoring run to extend their lead to four with 16:33 left in the first half. One minute and eighteen seconds later (15:15 left in the 1st), senior Marell Jordan connected on an open shot from downtown, to cut the Mount St Joseph lead to one (6-5). At the midway point of the first half, Defiance found themselves with a four-point lead (13-9). Nearly two minutes would tick off the clock before the next basket, as with 8:26 left in the first half, freshman Matthew Menninger splashed home a three-pointer of his own, to cut the deficit back to one (13-12). One minute and fourteen seconds later (7:22 left in the 1st), freshman Nate Kratzer returned the lead back to the Lions as he connected on a long-distance jumper (14-13). The Yellow Jackets and Lions swapped the lead numerous times in the remainder of the first half, but in the end, Mount St. Joseph held a 26-23 lead into the locker room. To start the second half, the Lions quickly extended their lead to 18, as they started the second half on a 15-0 scoring run. With 11:59 left in the contest, the Yellow Jackets finally scored their first points of the second half, as senior Marell Jordan converted on a fastbreak layup to finally end the Lions run (43-27). Defiance was unable to stop Mount St. Joseph in the second half, as the Lions outscored the Yellow Jackets 41-11. Defiance shot 16% from the field in the second half, while Mount St. Joseph shot an impressive 55%. In the end, the Lions took the victory 67-34. The Lions finished with a trio of players in double-digits, including sophomore Dayne Gardner (14), senior Jack Kolar (10), and sophomore Luke Collinsworth (10). Senior Marell Jordan was the lone Yellow Jacket in double-figures, as he scored 13. Mount St. Joseph shot 44.9% (22-49) from the field overall, while Defiance shot 28% (14-50). The Lions splashed home fourteen three-pointers on twenty-four attempts, while the Yellow Jackets shot 1-17 from downtown. Mount St. Joseph shot an impressive 81.3% (13-16) from the free-throw line, while Defiance shot 62.5% (5-8) from the charity stripe. The Lions out-rebounded the Yellow Jackets 38-30.
Home
Saturday, Jan. 7
Women’s Basketball (6-5) vs Transylvania University (12-0)
Location: Karl H. Weaner Center
(1:00 pm)
Men’s Basketball (5-6) vs Transylvania University (4-7)
Location: Karl H. Weaner Center
(3:00 pm)
Away
Wednesday, Jan. 4
Women’s Basketball (6-5) at Bluffton University (7-4)
(6:00 pm)
Men’s Basketball (5-6) at Bluffton University (3-8)
(8:00 pm)
Saturday, Jan. 7
Wrestling at Waynesburg University (Waynesburg Invitational)
