Defiance gained their first lead of the second half with: 04 seconds left as senior Jason Smolenski put in a tough fast-break lay-up. After the ensuing time out by Mount, B.J. Engelkamp drove the length of the court and put up a runner that was off the mark and Defiance held off the Lions, 54-53, to advance to the semi-final game of the Heartland Conference tournament.
The Mount jumped out to an early 7-0 lead to start the game and would hold that until 5:28 left in the first half when the Jackets opened a six point advantage. This marked the last time DC would lead before the final seconds. The Lions rolled into halftime with a four point advantage and opened the second half on an eight point run. Mount’s lead extended to 14 points with 9:24 left in the game. However, the Jackets would score their final six points in the last 36 seconds and end the game on a 9-1 run.
Leading the way for DC was sophomore Curt Croy. The crafty guard bucketed 13 points, grabbed four rebounds, and dished out three assists. Adding to Croy’s efforts was junior Matt Voland who also hit double figures. The forward scored 10 points, pulled in nine boards, and swatted two shots. Rounding out the Jacket effort on the night was freshman Ryan Bruley, who had eight points, four assists, and three steals with one of them leading to the last breakaway bucket by Smolenski.
In the defeat, Mount St. Joseph’s Tom Luther recorded a double-double as the senior scored 16 points and grabbed 14 rebounds. Derrick Jones also had 16 points in the losing effort.
Defiance moves to 12-13 on the year, 6-9 in HCAC play, and advance to the semi-final game against #2 Hanover on Friday, February 27 for a 6:00 PM tip time. With the loss, Mount St. Joseph finishes their season with a 10-16 mark and 4-11 in Heartland Conference play.