Anderson Smashes Defiance in HCAC Action

The Anderson University men's basketball team (10-4, 5-2) smashed Defiance College (5-6, 3-2) by a score of 80-52 during Wednesday's Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) matchup in O.C. Lewis Gymnasium.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Francis Uzorh scored the first bucket of the game with a layup with 18 minutes, 36 seconds remaining in the first half.
• Dejsani Beamon evened the score at 2-2. Maurice Knight followed up with a 3-pointer and the Ravens led the rest of the way.
• Knight hit another 3-pointer to take a 10-4 lead. Beamon hit a bucket to cut the lead to four.
• The Ravens built an 18-8 lead with 12:49 left in the first half.
• Defiance cut its deficit to 18-12, but Tate Ivanyo knocked down a 3-pointer to put Anderson ahead by nine.
• Anderson forced Defiance into two 30-second violations in the final two minutes of the half. The Ravens entered halftime with a 41-24 lead.
• The Ravens opened the second half with an 8-0 run to take a 25-point lead.
• Phil Bessick drained a 3-pointer with 1:10 left in the contest to give Anderson a 29-point lead, its biggest lead of the contest.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Anderson knocked down 11-of-21 (52.4 percent) shots from 3-point range while Defiance was held to 20 percent (2-of-10) from the perimeter.
• The Ravens outrebounded the Yellow Jackets 40-26.
• Tate Ivanyo notched a career-high 18 points. The freshman from Valparaiso drained 6-of-7 (85.7 percent) shots from the floor and 4-of-5 (80 percent) shots from behind the arc.
• Maurice Knight filled the stat sheet with 17 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and three blocks.
• Alex Hunt and Francis Uzorh scored nine points apiece while Jordan Gadis added eight points.

COACH OWEN HANDY'S COMMENTS

• Most teams in the country are going through unpredictable moments with personnel right now, and it sure seems like that is going to be our lot for a little while. We've had guys in and out, and I have been in and out. Coach Carter Collins did a great job of getting our group ready to play, and they responded really well to his leadership in my absence. We were ready to compete from the tip and that made for a really fun evening.
• Our attentiveness defensively and commitment to rebounding were really good. We executed the way we wanted to against their ball screen for the most part, and did a great job of sealing off penetration. Defiance came into the game as a really prolific three-point making team, and we were able to limit their quality opportunities from outside.
• One of the most fun parts of this job is seeing guys grow as players over time, and it has been really rewarding to see Alex Hunt, Tate Ivanyo, and Jordan Gadis keep getting better and better.

UP NEXT

Anderson battles Transylvania University (7-5, 2-3) in HCAC action on Saturday at 3 p.m. in O.C. Lewis Gymnasium.