Alexander and Parker Score 22 in Win Against Franklin

FRANKLIN, IND.  --  A hot shooting second half gave the Defiance College men's basketball team a 75-65 victory against Franklin (Ind.) College in a Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference game in Franklin, Ind.

In a tale of two halves, the Yellow Jackets were held to just 31.4 percent (11-of-35) shooting in the first half, but rallied to shoot 63.0 percent (17-of-27) in the second half and outscored the Grizzlies, 45-34, in the final 20 minutes.

Juniors Tyler Alexander (Indianapolis, Ind./Northwest) and Michael Parker (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence North) both scored game-tying highs of 22 points to lead the winning effort.  Alexander also grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds, and had five assists, to record his second double-double of the season in as many games.  Parker shot 50.0 percent (nine-of-18) from the field and had four three-pointers to go along with eight rebounds.  Freshman Blake Dunbar (Napoleon) also scored in double figures with 16 points and had four assists.

Defiance (3-3, 2-0 HCAC) scored the first five points of the game on a triple by Parker and a jumper by junior Chris Holmes (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence North) to lead, 5-0, early.  Franklin (0-6, 0-1 HCAC) then outscored DC, 18-6, to move ahead on the scoreboard with an 18-11 lead at the 11:15 minute mark of the half.

The Jackets battled back with an ensuing 7-0 scoring run that ended in back-to-back buckets by Parker to tie the game at 18-18 with about eight minutes to go before halftime.  The two teams traded leads and tied the score three additional times before the end of the half, but despite DC scoring the final points of the frame on a jumper by Dunbar as time expired, Franklin held a slim 31-30 edge at the break.

DC outscored Franklin, 9-3, in the first 3:47 of the second half to take a six-point lead, 40-34, and never trailed in the game again.  The Grizzlies pulled to within a basket on two occasions, including a 47-45 margin with 13-and-a-half minutes to go, but a series of small scoring runs by the Yellow Jackets extended the lead back to a more comfortable eight points, 56-48, following a three-point play by Alexander at the 9:27 mark.

Defiance looked to put the game away with a 9-0 run shortly after the Alexander basket to jump out to a 14-point advantage, 65-51, with 6:33 left in the game.  The Grizzlies narrowed the gap to single figures, 67-58, with under five minutes to go, but that would be as close as they would get as DC increased the lead back to the double-figure mark with a triple by freshman Adam Ney (Vandalia/Vandalia Butler) and a free-throw by Alexander en route to the 10-point final, 75-65.

Franklin was held to 32.1 percent (nine-of-28) shooting in the second half after shooting 50.0 percent (13-of-26) in the opening period and had four players score in double digits.  Aaron Mann led the team in scoring with 19 points, followed by John Beineke with 16 points.  Trae Washington had 14 poitns and Trey Boles added 12 points.

Defiance will go for a possible third straight victory next Saturday, Dec. 12 when the Jackets travel to Hanover, Ind. for a HCAC game against Hanover College.  The game will be part of a doubleheader with the DC women's team.  The men will play against the Panthers at 1 p.m., followed by the women at 3 p.m.