C.J. Johnson’s (Freshman, Toledo, Ohio- DeSales) 23 points were not enough on Saturday evening as the Defiance College Yellow Jackets fell at Franklin College, 74-81.
Curt Croy (Junior, Ottawa, Ohio- Ottawa-Glandorf), Brett Hammons (Senior, Convoy, Ohio- Crestview) and Trent Meyer (Freshman, Deshler, Ohio- Patrick Henry) each scored 11 points in the loss while Hammons led DC in rebounding with seven. Franklin’s big man Nick Kane punished the Jackets in the paint, scoring 29 points on 14-of-18 shooting and snared eight boards.
The undersized Jackets outrebounded the Grizzlies, 36-27, hit 19-of-20 free-throws, and shot 47% (7-of-15) from beyond the arc. Leading in almost all statistical categories, DC was done in by losing 17 turnovers compared to Franklin’s nine. The Grizzlies attempted eight more shots than Defiance (61-53) and shot just better from the field at 53% to earn the win and hand DC their 11th loss of the season (8-11 overall, 1-7 HCAC).
Franklin began the game on fire, with Kane hitting for 16 first-half points, leading the Grizzlies to a 45-36 half time lead. After jumping out to an 11-point lead (20-9) at the 13:41 mark of the first half when Kane scored his eight point of the game on a lay-in, the Grizzlies had their lead whittled away by DC as Hammons hit two free throws with three-minutes remaining to bring the Jackets within six, 34-40.
The Jackets, however, were unable to perpetuate the run and found themselves down by double-digits once again (50-61) eight minutes into the second half. Defiance then went on a 14-4 run with Johnson scoring six-points in the stretch to close the gap to 64-66 with three and a half minutes remaining.
A three by Hammons again closed the gap to two points with three-minutes left, but Kane again took over, after two Jacket turnovers, with six points in the final 112 seconds, including a dunk with 42 seconds left to give the Grizzlies an insurmountable 77-71 lead and the win
Defiance (8-11, 1-7 HCAC) will next host Manchester College on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at the Karl H. Weaner Center.
The Jackets previously fell 63-75 at Manchester on January 12th.