Defiance vs Earlham Video Highlights
DEFIANCE, Ohio – Defiance College overcame a five-point deficit in the final two minutes and escaped with a 66-65 win against Earlham on Wednesday night, as Logan Wolfrum's last-second triple found the net and gave the Jackets their fifth win in their last seven showings.
Wolfrum set up the last-second heroics with a steal and a layup with 1:02 remaining that narrowed the gap to 65-63. The Jackets then got a defensive rebound from Brandon Ray with 22 ticks to go, before Wolfrum's long-distance dagger gave the junior guard his second game-winning bucket in the final second during DC's last four victories.
Wolfrum ended the game with 18 points and six rebounds, while Drew Frizell turned in another strong effort off the bench with 14 points on four-of-seven shooting from three-point territory. Kyle Tietje led all players with 10 boards to go with seven points and two steals.
The Jackets shot 55.2 percent from the floor in the second half to overcome 16 turnovers and a 25-9 deficit in points off of miscues to the Quakers. DC also dodged an uncharacteristic, eight-of-18, showing from the charity stripe, by shooting the same rate from long distance.
Defiance tried to put the game out of reach early, using a 14-6 start to the game before a shooting slump resulted in an extended, 23-8, rally from the Quakers and a 29-22 deficit for the Purple and Gold with 2:18 remaining in the opening stanza.
DC bounced back with the final four points of the period and erased the 29-26 halftime deficit by storming to a 39-35 lead in the opening minutes after the break. The lead would eventually swell to seven on a Frizell trey with 7:39 left in the game.
The Quakers (0-16, 0-9 HCAC) would not go away however, scoring 17 points over the next five minutes on six-of-seven shooting and using four three-point shots during that span to bolt to a 64-59 edge with 1:59 to go.
EC could not hold on for its first-ever HCAC victory however, as DC rode Wolfrum down the stretch to hand the Quakers their 27th loss in as many HCAC contests and their 32nd-straight setback on the hardwood.
Defiance (7-9, 3-6 HCAC) moved to within a game of fifth place in the HCAC standings and will look to continue the climb when it hosts Hanover (11-4, 7-2 HCAC) on Saturday at 3:00 pm.