Quick Start Vaults Men's Hoops Past Manchester in HCAC Opener

DEFIANCE, Ohio – Defiance raced out to a 19-point halftime advantage over a previously unbeaten Manchester squad on Wednesday night and went on to post the 64-48 victory on the opening night of HCAC action.

The Spartans brought a 4-0 mark into the Weaner Community Center, marking their best start in eight years but Defiance grabbed control early on and never trailed en route to its third win of the year.

Anthony Pettaway and Nick Sales led the charge for the Yellow Jackets as the post tandem each turned in double-doubles, combining for 26 points and 21 rebounds on 13-of-22 shooting from the floor.

Fellow post threat Matt Muratori also scored in double figures, turning in 10 points to go with three assists and three rebounds.

The backcourt combo of C.J. Johnson and Mike Floyd continued their strong play as Johnson contributed eight points and four boards, while Floyd dished out a game-high seven assists to go with five points, two blocks and two steals.

Manchester was led in the scoring column by Jamaal Wade’s 19 points, while Wes Gardner and Jeff Grabowski also cracked double figures with 11 and 10 points respectively.

The Jackets controlled the action from the opening tip and held a share of the lead for all 40 minutes. The only two ties came at 2-2 and 4-4 before Bryan Post put DC in front for good with a long-range jumper at the 16:17 mark.

After the Spartans got back to within a hoop at 12-10, Defiance put the game away with a 23-4 spurt over the next 10:40 to claim a commanding 35-14 lead with just over two minutes to play in the half.

The second half brought a temporary change of momentum as Manchester steadily chipped away at the 19-point DC halftime lead, cutting the margin to six points at 50-44 with 4:29 to play.

That was as close as it would get however, as Anthony Jackson stepped up and knocked in a three from the corner. Floyd then earned a steal on the ensuing Spartan possession and hit Sales on the other end for an easy deuce, pushing the spread back to 11 points.

Defiance never let the lead dip below nine points from then on and went on to secure the 64-48 victory.

DC (3-1, 1-0 HCAC) will now face a pair of tough HCAC road tests with visits to Anderson and Bluffton before hosting Hanover on Dec. 9 on 3:00 pm.