Comets down Jackets, 50-68

OLIVET, Mich.—The Defiance College Men’s Basketball team fell at Olivet College (Mich.), 50-68, on Saturday afternoon.

Curt Croy led the Jackets with 10 points, while Matt Muratori led on the glass with seven rebounds and contributed seven points. Robert Kisabeth came off the bench to add nine points. Defiance was beaten on the boards 40-33 and committed 18 turnovers to OC’s seven.

Cold shooting plagued the Jackets as the first half saw DC shoot 35% from the floor and went into the break down 37-24. Gerald Dozie boosted the Comet offense with 10 first-period points and ended with a 12 point, 14 rebounds double-double. The second half saw more 35% shooting from Defiance and the Comets capitalized scoring 32 points off DC giveaways. The Jackets also had trouble at the line, hitting just 62% from the charity stripe.

The Comets jumped out to an immediate 13-2 lead in the first six minutes on three triples, a jumper and a dunk to set the quick pace. Defiance cut the lead to single digits on two Bryan Post free throws at the four-minute mark, 17-25, but then saw Olivet rattle off a six points from the free-throw line and hit three lay ups to take a 12-point lead.

Olivet maintained their 10-to-14 point lead throughout the second half until pulling away in the final five minutes to hand the Jackets their third loss of the season.

The Jackets, now 5-3 (0-0 HCAC) will now have 10 days off before participating in the Adidas Las Vegas Shootout on December 21 and 22. Defiance will face Hood College at 11:00 a.m. on the first day of the tournament.