The Defiance College Yellow Jackets fell to Ohio Northern on Wednesday night at the Karl H. Weaner Center, 61-70.
Curt Croy led the Jackets with 21 points, but his 5-for-11 shooting from three-point range counted for all but one of the Jackets long-range hits as they shot 23% from behind the arc (6-26). C.J. Johnson scored 12 for DC, while Matt Voland followed with 11 points and a team-high eight boards. The Jackets were outrebounded 34-45 for the game.
Shooting just 36% from the field, the Jackets stayed in the game until the last minute due to 56% free throw shooting by the Bears (14-29). Greg Badenhop led ONU with 21 points, while Phil Hoying grabbed eight rebounds and pitched-in 14 points. The Ohio Northern bench outscored the Jacket reserves, 27-13, while the Jackets were held without a field goal for the final four and a half minutes of the game.
The Jackets took the first meaningful lead of the game, 15-9, when Jeremey Fruhwirth hit a lay-up at the 12:52 mark of the first half. DC later jumped out to an eight-point lead when Brett Hammons made his second straight of two free throws to make the score 28-20 at the 3:56 mark of the first. ONU, however, went on a 10-to-2 run in the final four minutes of the first half, making the score 32-30 at the break.
At the beginning of the second stanza, DC jumped out to another eight point lead when Croy hit a three-pointer off a Johnson assist at the 17:23 mark to end an 8-0 Jacket run and make the score 40-32. Ohio Northern again battled back and took the lead, 45-44, when Badenhop hit a triple with 13 minutes remaining.
With 2:36 remaining, the Jackets closed the gap to one possession, 61-64, when Hammons hit another pair of free throws. Hoying however hit a big shot immediately following, when his jumper connected to put ONU up by five and DC was unable to recover. Four Badenhop free throws closed out the scoring, 61-70.
The Jackets sit at 6-2 on the year with the weekend off before hosting Oberlin College on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. Ohio Northern’s win improves their record to 4-2, with Marietta coming to Ada on Saturday.
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