LEXINGTON, Ky. - Sophomore Ethan Spurlin scored 14 of his 20 points in the second half Saturday, lifting Transylvania to a hard-fought 72-67 win over Defiance in men's Heartland Conference basketball action at the Beck Center.
2010-11 Schedule/Results
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The win improved Transy to 15-6 overall, 9-5 HCAC, while the Yellow Jackets are 10-11, 5-9 in the conference.
Spurlin was seven of 12 from the field and six of seven from the free throw line. He also had four rebounds. Ashley Hatfield backed him with 14 points, all in the first half, and Barrett Meyer had 10 points and five assists.
Transy led by as many as 13 points midway through the second half, but had to hold off the Yellow Jackets down the stretch. A three by Logan Wolfrum with eight seconds to play pulled the Jackets to within 70-67, but Transy's Chris Owens canned a pair of free throws with just six seconds to go to clinch it.
Taylor Botkin also made a pair of clutch free throws with 27 seconds to go to put the Pioneers up by four.
The Pioneers, after leading by as many as 12 points in the first half, were up by three, 37-34, at intermission. Transy got 14 points from Hatfield in the half on five of 10 shooting, three of four from long range. Meyer and Mike Satterwhite notched seven each.
Transy hit 39 percent from the field in the first half compared to 44 percent for the Yellow Jackets, who were led by Kevin Tietje's 15 points and six rebounds. Transy was also 11 of 12 from the free throw line while Defiance converted 10 of 14. Wolfrum, the HCAC's top scorer with better than 21 points a game, was held to just six in the first half.
Satterwhite finished with eight points while Tate Cox and Brandon Rash popped in six each.
Tietje finished with 21 points and 11 rebounds while Wolfrum had 14, a total matched by Anthony Brown.
Both teams shot 38 percent in the second half. Defiance was at 41 percent for the game to 39 percent for the Pioneers, who were out-rebounded 41-27. Transy was 24 of 27 from the free throw line while the Jackets converted 13 of 21.
The game was televised live on a regional basis by WKYT-TV, Channel 27 in Lexington.
The Pioneers are back in action on Wednesday, hosting HCAC rival Mt. St. Joseph at 7:30 p.m.