Defiance Handles Anderson in 74-67 Victory

DEFIANCE, Ohio – Defiance scored the game’s opening hoop and never relinquished the lead, as it opened HCAC action with a 74-67 win over the visiting Anderson squad. DC evened its record at 3-3 with the victory and moved to 1-0 in league action.

The Jackets started fast, scoring six-straight points in the paint to build a 6-0 lead before Anderson could get on the board. The scoring started when Bryan Post found Anthony Pettaway underneath for an uncontested layup. DC repeated the formula on its next score, with C.J. Johnson finding Pettaway for a dunk. Johnson’s layup on the next possession capped the early spurt.

The margin stood at 34-26 in favor of the Jackets at the half but a pair of Anderson layups to start the second half cut the margin to four. C.J. Johnson then sparked a 21-4 DC rally with a string of three-straight three pointers. Nick Sales broke the stretch on nine-straight points from Johnson with a layup and a trey from Anthony Jackson capped a 14-0 run and gave DC the 48-30 lead with 14:52 left in the game.

AU’s Gabe Miller snapped the skid for the Ravens with a hoop, but Defiance would not let up until the lead had swelled to 23 points at 57-34 with 10:56 to play. Anderson picked up the pace from that point on but failed to ever get back to within serious striking distance.

The lead remained in double digits until Anderson cut it to nine at 70-61 with 1:05 to play and pulled within six at 70-64 with 17 seconds left. Defiance iced the lead from the charity stripe in the closing seconds and came away with the seven-point win.

Johnson ended the night with his third 20-point outburst of the season, leading all players with 25 points and adding seven rebounds, three steals and two assists in his 27 minutes. Jackson tied his career best with 16 points and Heath Armstrong scored eight of his career high 10 points in the opening 20 minutes of action.

Pettaway turned in a vintage performance, ending with nine points and 12 rebounds after starting the game with seven points and three boards in the first five minutes. Nick Sales added eight points and seven rebounds and Nate Helton and Deon Thompson teamed up at the point to distribute nine assists and collect three steals.

Anderson (2-3, 0-1 HCAC) was led by 14 points from Ryan Fultz who connected on two of five attempts from beyond the arc. The rest of the Ravens struggled from long range, connecting on only four-of-20 shots from three-point range for a dismal 20-percent clip.

DC (3-3, 1-0 HCAC) will be on the road for much of the remainder of the month, starting with a rivalry game at Bluffton on Wednesday night at 7:30 pm.