The Defiance College Yellow Jackets fell to the Bluffton Beavers 75-66 at Founders Hall on Wednesday night.
Despite a hard-played second half, the 8-9 (2-5 HCAC) Jackets ultimately lost due to poor free-throw shooting at 53% and were out-rebounded 17-31 by the 9-9 (3-4 HCAC) Beavers. Curt Croy led DC with 15 points, scoring 11 second-half points, while Matt Laudick and Ryan Bruley registered 14 points apiece. Junior Matt Voland also scored in double figures with 10 points and six rebounds.
The Beavers were paced by Brad Boyles’ 16 points and had five players score in double-figures. Bluffton shot 85% from the line, hitting 22-of-26 charity shots. Defiance and Bluffton nearly matched each other in every statistical category save free-throw shooting and rebounds.
The Beavers built a 12-point halftime lead, 40-28 on the strength of 10-point run between the seven and three-minute marks of the first half. To start the second half, DC cut the lead to five points, 46-51 when Laudick hit a jumper with 12:30 left. Bruley and Croy hit a pair of threes to put the Jackets up by two after the ensuing Croy free throw, 51-53.
The lead changed hands eight times before the Beavers finally went ahead by two, 68-66, with two minutes remaining on a Scott Bergman jumper that barely beat the shot clock. The Jackets would not score again as BC hit five free throws and a lay-up to seal the Jackets’ fate.
Now 8-9 on the year (2-5 HCAC), the Jackets return home on Saturday to face the 11-6 (3-3 HCAC) Grizzlies of Franklin College.
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