No. 22 Transy improved to 13-3 overall and 4-1 in HCAC play while Hanover is now 10-6, 3-2 in the league. Transy, Bluffton, and Hanover entered the evening in a three-way tie for first place.
Four Pioneers scored in double figures, led by 14 from guard Marc Bain and 12 each from Bryan Howard and Joey Searle. Matt Finke added 11 points and four rebounds while Pendleton finished the game with nine points, two assists, and two steals.
Ben Lye had 13 points and a career high 12 rebounds for Hanover. Clint Parker added 10 points, a total matched by Dan O'Leary off the bench.
Transy was coming off a three-point win over Bluffton on Saturday, giving the Pioneers a sweep of their primary HCAC rivals.
Hanover led 34-32 at halftime and the led could have been greater. The Panthers misfired on nine of 17 free throw attempts. The Pioneers, who shot 44 percent for the game, connected on seven of 21 three-pointers while Hanover was 5 of 11 from long range. Hanover stayed in the game by shooting 61 percent over the final 20 minutes, but the home team was just 14 of 26 for the game from the free throw stripe.
The score was tied 10 times and the lead changed hands on 16 occasions. Transy led by as many as 10 points in the first half while Hanover forged ahead by six early in the second half.
Transy will host Manchester on Saturday at 3 p.m. at the Beck Center. The Pioneers have never defeated the Spartans since joining the HCAC in the 2001-02 season, a span of eight games.