Playing at home for the first time in over three weeks, Transy won its sixth straight game and improved its record to 11-2 overall, 2-0 in Heartland Conference play. Anderson fell to 6-7 1-1 HCAC, but the Ravens put up quite a fight. Neither team led by more than seven points throughout the game that saw eight lead changes and two ties.
Transy led by three, 45-42, at intermission, but found itself down by six, 68-62, at the 8:38 mark on back-to-back buckets by Terry Coleman. Transy then scored the next seven seven points to regain the lead, 69-68.
Coleman scored three points and J.D. Clampitt added two free throws to help Anderson to a 73-69 advantage with just over six minutes to play. But Bryan Howard's free throw ahead of a three by Mac Bain tied the game for the last time at 73-73 and Howard, Finke, and Robert Pendleton combined to score the last 11 points for the Pioneers.
Howard and Finke each hit on two free throws while Finke made a traditional three-point play with 1:47 to go to make it 81-75. Pendleton hit one of two free throws with 20 seconds to go and Finke clinched it with two final free throws after Coleman missed with about 10 seconds to play and Anderson down by three.
Vynsynt Vann hit a three at the buzzer for the final margin.
Finke was six of 11 from the field and 10 of 14 from the line. He also had seven rebounds and three assists. Bain was four of eight from behind the three-point line for 16 points while Howard had 15 points and five rebounds. Pendleton had 12 points and five assists.
Transy shot 56 percent for the game (27 of 48) and 40 percent from long range (10 of 25). The Pioneers were 20 of 27 from the line, compared to 13 of 19 for the Ravens.
Anderson also shot well, hitting 52 percent overall and 50 percent from beyond the arc. Four Ravens were in double figures, led by Clampitt's 21 points and 13 by center Nick Rogers. Rogers also had seven rebounds.
The Pioneers will remain in HCAC play on Wednesday, traveling to Mt. St. Joseph for a 7:30 p.m. game. Transy will host No. 25 Bluffton next Saturday at 3 p.m.