Box Score

DEFIANCE, Ohio – Transylvania opened the second half with a 28-10 blitz and held on to defeat Defiance 66-59 Saturday in men's Heartland Conference basketball action.
 
The Pioneers (15-4, 10-2 HCAC) have won six straight games and 11 of their last 12, while the Yellow Jackets, who led by 10 points at intermission, fall to 11-8, 7-5 HCAC.
 
Transy's big run to open the second half wiped out a 29-19 halftime deficit and gave the Pioneers a 47-39 lead. Defiance battled back to grab a 54-53 edge with just over five minutes to play, but Barrett Meyer's layup gave the lead back to Transy and Defiance never caught up again.
 
Meyer led the Pioneers with 24 points, including five of seven from long range.  Tate Cox added 13 points, all in the second half, to go with three assists. Ethan Spurlin had 10 points and 10 rebounds while Parker Stansberry contributed 10 points and seven boards.
 
It was the sixth double double of the season for Spurlin, who had 26 points and 17 rebounds in a 75-68 win over Defiance earlier this month. Brandon Rash had six points and 10 rebounds for Transy.
 
Mason Roth led Defiance with 14 points and Logan Wolfrum added 13 for the Yellow Jackets, who shot 40 percent from the field compared to 40.4 percent for Transy. The Pioneers also outscored the Jackets 30-15 from long range and 18-14 from the free throw line.
 
Defiance began the game with an 11-3 run only to see Transy rally and gain a 16-14 edge on a Meyer three at the 8:19 mark. The Yellow Jackets came back with a 15-3 spurt to lead by 10, 29-19, at the break.
 
Meyer led the way with nine points, hitting three of four from long range. But overall Transy canned just five of 22 shots. Defiance made 10 of 27 first-half field goal attempts. Spurlin had four points and six rebounds for the Pioneers while Mason Roth led the Jackets with nine points.
 
Transy is back in action on Wednesday, traveling to Earlham to challenge the Quakers at 7:30 p.m.