'Berg Overcomes Slow Start to Shoot Past Defiance

The Heidelberg College men’s basketball team extended its season-opening win streak to three games with a 92-78 win over visiting Defiance College tonight, Nov. 25. The win also marks the ninth-straight for the Berg in Seibeling Gymnasium, located on the campus of Heidelberg. The Berg improves to 3-0, while the Yellow Jackets fall to 1-2.
 
Out of the gates the Berg hit just 2-of-9 field goals in the first 6:32 of the game and found itself in a 14-4 deficit. The Berg battled back to pull within a point, 29-28, following a Jim Smalley (Middleburg Heights, Ohio / Midpark) lay up with 6:32 left in the first half. On Heidelberg’s next possession Travis Kinn (Alvada, Ohio / New Riegel) found the bottom of the net to give Heidelberg the lead for good. Heidelberg went on to extend its first half lead to 11 points, 49-38, in the final seconds on a Jake Hessey (Crestline, Ohio / Colonel Crawford) three.
 
Following its slow start the Berg responded converting on 16-of-25 field goals in the final 13:00 minutes of the first half and finished the half hitting a 52.9 clip, including connecting on four from long range. Defiance shot 41.2 percent (14-of-34) to open things up.
 
Heidelberg continued with its strong shooting in the second half. Smalley connected on two quick jumpers to push the Berg lead to 13, 53-40. Mike Floyd cut Defiance’s deficit to seven, 61-54, with 12:18 to play in the game, but Josh Calver (Shelby, Ohio / Shelby) responded with a three-pointer as the shot clock expired to put the Berg back on top by double digits, 65-54, and quieted a Yellow Jacket comeback.
 
For the game, Heidelberg shot 51.7 percent (31-of-60) from the field, while Defiance finished at 46.2 percent (30-of-65). Heidelberg held a 41-32 advantage on the glass, marking the second-straight game that the Berg controlled the boards.
 
Posting his third-straight double-double to open the year was Kinn. He finished with a career-high 20 points and tied his career-best of 12 rebounds, which he set in the last game. Backing Kinn was Smalley with 17 points, to go along with four rebounds. Rounding out four players in double figures was Hessey with 16 and Calver with 10. Calver dished out four assists, while Hessey and freshman Quintin Aden (Canal Winchester, Ohio / Harvest Preparatory) each had three.  
 
Leading the way for the Yellow Jackets was Nick Sales with a game-high 24 points to go along with eight rebounds. Mike Floyd added 15 points and Anthony Pettaway finished with 14.
 
Heidelberg, under the guidance of first-year head coach Anthony Gholson, return to the road this weekend at Bluffton University for a 3:00 p.m. match up on Saturday, Nov. 29. The Berg returns to Tiffin for three-straight beginning on Dec. 3 when Albion College visits for a 7:30 p.m. game.