DC loses critical conference clash at home

DEFIANCE, Ohio – A back-and-forth battle featuring 14 lead changes came down to the final seconds Saturday afternoon, as the Defiance College men's basketball team was edged by Northwestern Ohio, 66-64, on a put-back with two seconds remaining at the Karl H. Weaner Center.

The Yellow Jackets (11-12, 6-12 WHAC) led by one at halftime and built a 6-point second-half advantage, but the Racers (9-15, 7-11 WHAC) answered late and stole the decision in the closing moments.

Defiance settled in after an early UNOH push and found its rhythm from beyond the arc midway through the first half. Three-pointers from Evan Angstmann, Baylen Blockberger, and Thomas Hallett helped swing momentum to the Jackets, who pieced together multiple small runs. Donovan Stone buried a triple in the final minute of the half to give DC a 31-30 edge at the break.

The second half stayed tight throughout, with neither side able to create much separation. Angstmann caught fire from deep with three second-half triples, and Wren Sheets provided a strong interior presence on both ends as Defiance built its largest lead at 54-48 with just over six minutes to play.

UNOH answered with timely shooting, including key 3-pointers from Caleb Chapman, to regain the advantage. The teams continued to trade blows in the final minutes. A Christian Burton 3-pointer with 2:42 remaining put DC back on top, and his free throws 2 minutes later tied the game at 64-64 with 33 seconds left.

After a missed shot by the Racers in the closing seconds, Northwestern Ohio converted a tip-in with two seconds remaining to take the lead. A final Defiance possession was cut short by a steal at the buzzer.

Angstmann led the Yellow Jackets with 15 points and 4 3-pointers. Carter Sudhoff added 13 points and 5 rebounds, while Blockberger scored 11. Burton finished with nine points and a team-high 6 assists. Sheets paced DC on the glass with 9 rebounds to go along with 7 points, 3 steals, and a block.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
 • Defiance won the rebounding battle 42-28 and held an 18-4 edge in second-chance points.
 • The Yellow Jackets knocked down nine three-pointers and shot 78.6% (11-14) from the free-throw line.
 • The game featured 12 ties and 14 lead changes.
 • UNOH shot 49.0% from the field and 40.0% from three.
 • Turnovers were even at 11-11.
 • The loss puts Defiance in 10th place in the WHAC standings, 1 game in back of Aquinas and UNOH for the 8th and final seed of the WHAC Tournament. DC has 4 games remaining to make up that deficit while the Racers own the tie-breaker over the Jackets.

UP NEXT
Defiance continues WHAC play on Wednesday with a road contest at Madonna, as the Yellow Jackets look to bounce back in conference action. Tipoff against the Crusaders is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.