Defiance Uses 27-0 Blitz to Record Win at Anderson

ANDERSON, Ind. – Defiance sank 10 of its first 16 shots to start the second half and blanked Anderson for a span of 9:32 en route to scoring 27-straight points and building a 55-27 advantage. The Jackets would go on to take the 72-53 victory and up their HCAC leading record to 6-1 in league games.

The two teams battled through a defensive first half of play which featured six lead changes and only 51 points between the two teams. DC took a slim, 28-25, lead into the break behind the strong play of Anthony Pettaway in the paint. The junior center connected on five-of-seven attempts in the opening stanza and ended the half with 10 points, two blocks and two steals, as DC outscored Anderson by an 18-12 margin in the paint.

It looked as if the second half would provide more of the same, as AU scored on its first possession of the second half to trim Defiance’s lead to 28-27, but the Jackets would blow the game wide open with a 27-0 run over the next 9:32 of action.

Mike Floyd ignited the extended spurt by scoring eight points on DC’s ensuing three possessions. Defiance would end up hitting 10 of its next 16 shots, including five-of-seven treys to build a commanding 55-27 lead with 11:01 left on the clock.

Floyd’s eight points led the way during the 27-point assault, with Heath Armstrong and Anthony Jackson combining to add 11 more points.

The Jackets would never allow the spread to get less than 18 points for the remainder of the game, as they improved to 6-0 on the road this season with the 72-53 win.

While the 27-0 rally gave Defiance a lopsided victory, it was the defensive pressure that proved to be the difference. The Yellow Jackets got back to playing tenacious defense on Saturday and ripped off 19 steals as they piled up a 33-13 advantage on points off turnovers. DC also held the Ravens to 30.8-percent shooting from the field and 23.1 percent from beyond the arc, while not allowing a single AU player to reach double-digits in the scoring column.

DC placed three players in double figures, as Pettaway led the charge with 14 points, six rebounds and a pair of blocks. Armstrong added 13 points and C.J. Johnson chipped in 10.

Bryan Post managed only four points but filled up the stat sheet with 11 rebounds, three assists and three steals in his 17 minutes. Floyd scored all eight of his points at the start of the 27-0 spurt and added six assists and three steals and Nick Sales contributed seven points, seven boards, five helpers, three steals and a block.

Defiance (11-5, 6-1 HCAC) will now return home as it looks to extend its stay atop the HCAC standings with a three-game homestand. The Jackets will open the stretch on Wednesday with a 7:30 pm tip against Manchester.