Wooley Records Double-Double in Win Against Anderson

ANDERSON, IND.  --  Senior Wade Wooley (Wauseon) equaled his career-highs in points and rebounds to record his fourth double-double of the season in a 78-75 win against Anderson (Ind.) University in Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference action in Anderson, Ind.

Wooley led the Yellow Jackets in scoring with 18 points and also grabbed a game-high 15 rebounds.  He shot 88.9 percent (eight-of-nine) from the field and also had a pair of blocked shots.  Juniors Michael Parker (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence North) and Tyler Alexander (Indianapolis, Ind./Northwest) were second with 13 points each.  Alexander also tallied a game-high seven assists.  Freshman Blake Dunbar (Napoleon) scored 12 points and freshman Nick Mesnard (Petoskey, Mich./Petoskey) rounded out the high scorers with 10 points.

As a team, DC shot 54.7 percent (29-of-53) from the field, including 29.2 percent (seven-of-24) from three-point range.  In addition, the Jackets shot an impressive 86.7 percent (13-of-15) at the free-throw line.

The early minutes of the first half belonged to Anderson (5-7, 1-4 HCAC) as the Ravens opened the game with a 17-2 scoring run in the first 5:33.  Defiance (6-6, 4-1 HCAC) then scored six straight points to cut the deficit to under double figures, 17-8, with 12:35 to go in the period.

The Ravens led for the majority of the half despite a 12-4 DC run late in the frame that included a pair of triples by Mesnard to get the Jackets to within a point, 29-28, with 4:14 to go before halftime.  Defiance later took the lead thanks to another bucket from long range, this time from junior Devin Mangas (Leipsic) making the score 33-32 with two minutes to go.

Following an ensuing timeout by Anderson, the Ravens regained the lead with a three-pointer of their own to end the scoring in the half and take a slim 36-35 margin into the locker rooms.

The second half featured an up-and-down pace as the two teams battled to four ties and five lead changes.  Defiance led by as many as three points on several occasions to begin the final half, including a 48-45 margin following a layup by Alexander with 14:48 to go in the game.  

Anderson answered with six straight points to regain the lead as part of a 10-1 run to lead by six points, 55-49, at the 11:31 minute mark.  The Ravens went on to lead by as many as nine points, 65-56, with 7:25 remaining before the Jackets rallied with a 14-2 run that ended in a layup by Dunbar swinging momentum back to DC with a 70-67 advantage.

The Ravens evened the game at 70-70 on its next possession which was followed by a layup by Wooley that gave DC the lead for good, 72-70, with 2:49 to play.  Anderson pulled to within a point with a little over a minute to go, but a pair of free-throws by Alexander ended the scoring by both teams as DC went on to claim the 78-75 final.

Anderson shot 48.3 percent (29-of-60) from the floor and was led in scoring by Trevor Lucas with a game-high 26 points and also had six assists.  Joe Line was second with 18 points and Stanley Duncan added 13 points.

Defiance will stay on the road and will travel to Lexington, Ky. for a HCAC game against Transylvania University on Saturday, Jan. 9.  The game will be part of a basketball doubleheader with the Yellow Jacket women's team.  The women will face the Pioneers at 1 p.m., followed by the men at 3 p.m.