DC Runs Past DePauw for 19th P&G Tournament Title

DEFIANCE, Ohio – Defiance College improved to 6-0 at home this season and lit up the scoreboard by eclipsing 80 points for the fifth time in its last six. The hot offensive performance led the Jackets to an 89-75 win against DePauw and their 19th Purple and Gold Tournament Championship in 35 years.

Each team entered the championship clash boasting impressive 8-2 records and the action was played tightly throughout the opening half with DePauw using a 16-4 run to open up its largest lead of the game at 30-23 with 6:39 left in the first stanza.

DC withstood the surge from the visiting Tigers and closed the period on a 14-3 rally of its own to take a 37-33 lead into the intermission. The Jackets then netted the first six points of the second half to claim a 43-33 advantage. Mike Floyd fueled the pivotal, 20-3, Defiance surge that spanned the last 6:39 of the first and the opening 1:40 of the second half, as the Jackets' floor general assisted six of the team's eight field goals in that time.

The Defiance lead would stand at 51-40 with 14:20 left in the game, before DePauw began chipping away at the cushion. The Tigers managed to close to within a single point at 58-57 with 9:53 to play.

With the momentum back up for grabs, Floyd once again assumed control by knocking down a three-point shot from the wing and sinking a runner on DC's next possession that pushed the Jackets back in front by six.

A trey from DePauw cut the lead in half but Floyd once again provided the answer by finding an open Kyle Tietje in the paint for an uncontested layup. The bucket ignited another DC rally, as the Jackets used a 13-1 burst to build a commanding, 76-61, lead with just over four minutes remaining in the contest.

The Defiance lead would never dip below 11 points the rest of the way, as the Jackets finished off the 89-75 victory to claim the 35th-Annual Purple and Gold Tournament Championship.

Floyd was spectacular from the point guard slot, dishing out 13 assists to go along with eight points and one steal in his 30 minutes. Nick Sales added 23 points and seven boards, while Kyle Tietje hit 10-of-12 attempts from the floor to end with a career-high 20 points and six boards. Anthony Brown scored 10 of his 14 in the first half, while Heath Armstrong drained a trio of trifectas to end with 14 of his own.

Floyd was named the Purple and Gold Tournament Most Valuable Player after dishing out 19 assists to just four turnovers in the two victories. Floyd was joined on the All-Tournament Team by Tietje, who averaged 15.5 points and 6.5 rebounds and Sales, who logged 15.5 points and 5.5 boards per game.

Armstrong was the 2009 recipient of the Gerry Boomer Sportsmanship Award, after he dialed it up from long distance seven times and scored a total of 30 points in the two-day event.

Defiance (9-2) will look to make it a perfect three-for-three in tournaments in 2009-2010, when it travels to Roanoke to compete in the Domino's New Year's Classic on January 2 and 3. The Jackets will open with Ferrum (5-5) on Friday at 5:00 pm, before playing Ohio Wesleyan (2-7) or Roanoke (4-5) on Saturday.