Transy (22-4), the league's top seed, advances to the semifinal round at 8 p.m. Friday vs. Mt. St. Joseph. Mt. St. Joseph defeated Manchester 67-55. The first semifinal game starts at 6 p.m. with the HCAC title game set for Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Bluffton, an upset winner over Hanover, will face the winner of the Anderson-Franklin matchup.
The Pioneers used a potent three-point shooting game to advance past the Yellow Jackets (9-16). Transy connected on 15-of-28 three-point attempts, one three-point goal shy of its season high and four short of the school single game record.. TU out-scored Defiance 45-21 in three-point points. Senior guard Adam Cole connected on 3-of-3 three-pointers, while Bain also added three treys. As a team, Transy shot 59.3 percent (32-of-54) from the floor and out-rebounded Defiance 29-25. The Yellow Jackets made 51.6 percent (32-of-62) of their shots, but connected on just 7-of-20 three-pointers.
Transy jumped out to an early 13-4 lead capped off by a three-pointer by Joey Searle, who finished with 10 points, at the 15:51 mark of the opening half. After the Yellow Jackets used a 6-0 run to come within three, 13-10, Transy used a 10-2 run of its own backed by two three-pointers to extend its lead out to 13 points (23-10) with 10:16 left in the first period. Bain knocked down a three and made a field goal on the next possession to move the Pioneers in front 34-17 with 6:45 remaining. Transy went into halftime leading 42-29 despite not having a player register double-figure points.
The 21st-ranked Pioneers carried the momentum of the first half into the second as back-to-back three-pointers by Searle and Joey Verax put the Pioneers ahead by 19, 59-40, with 12:25 left in the game. Defiance, however, managed to get back into the game after knocking down four three-pointers of its own to come within 12, 73-61, with 5:46 left. The Yellow Jackets came as close as nine points, 85-76, but the Pioneers made 4-of-5 free-throws in the final 1:14 to seal the win.
Searle had a game-high seven rebounds to lead Transy on the boards. Forward Anthony Pettaway led Defiance with 16 points.
The HCAC tourney winner gets the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III tournament, which begins March 2.