The Defiance College Yellow Jackets advanced to the finals of the Purple & Gold Financial Tournament with an 84-66 win over Indiana University-East on Saturday night.
DC will face perennial NAIA-power Bethel College in the championship game at 3:00 p.m. tomorrow following the consolation match-up of IU-East and University of Cincinnati- Clermont at 1:00 at the Karl H. Weaner Center.
Sophomore C.J. Johnson paced the Jackets with 20 points on 5-of-10 shooting and a game-high six assists. Senior Curt Croy was right behind the sophomore with 18 points on 7-of-16 shooting and five rebounds. The Pioneers were impressive in a losing effort, led by an athletic Bob Beshears with 23 points and point guard Keith Atkinson’s 22 points.
Senior Matt Laudick and freshman Anthony Jackson rounded out the Jackets’ double-digit scoring with 12 and 11 points apiece. Jackson had a team-high eight boards from his guard position. Defiance’s bench proved the deciding factor as the Jacket reserves outscored the Pioneers’ second squad 32-5.
In a sloppy first half, the Jackets jumped to an initial 11-point lead at the midway point of the first period when Croy hit a lay-up after an IU-East turnover. The Pioneers chipped away at the DC lead, narrowing the deficit to one on an Atkinson jumper before a jumper by Jackson and two Johnson free throws took the lead to five at the break.
During the middle 10 minutes of the second half, the Jackets went on a 26-4 run, spurred by 10 Laudick points, and put the game essentially out of reach with seven minutes left.
The Jackets are now 4-1 (0-0 HCAC) on the year and will face the 5-4 Pilots of Bethel who outran UC-Clermont 117-82 in Friday’s first game.
###