Men's Basketball Win on the Road

Dearborn, MI- The Delta Men's basketball team used a gutsy performance to snap a two game losing streak Saturday afternoon, defeating Henry Ford Community College 67-60. Without the services of their leading scorer, Tyler Ellis, the Pioneers used a team effort and a balanced scoring attack to move to 3-2 in the MCCAA East and 3-14 overall.

The first half was dominated by defense as both teams had a tough time getting anything going on the offensive end. The Pioneers shot a mere 31% (10-32) from the field and 50% (4-8) from the free throw line. On the offensive end, Jovon Thomason was the lone bright spot as he scored eight points and led the Pioneers to a 27-26 halftime lead.

Delta picked up the pace in the second half and extended their lead to 46-39 with 12 minutes remaining in the half. The Pioneers then showcased tenacious defense in taking offensive charges on three straight defensive possessions.

"The charges, taken midway through the second half, two by Devin Smith and one by Will Williams seemed to fuel us and give us the momentum for the rest of the game," said Pioneer coach Carlos McMath.

The Hawks wouldn't go away without a fight though, but a big three by Manny Dosanjh with four minutes left pushed the lead to eight and helped the Pioneers seal the victory.

Dan Stenback led the scoring attack for the Pioneers with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Martel Handley hit three, 3-pointers and finished with 13 points. Thomason finished with 12 points and added five steals.

"The first half, we settled for too many jump shots," said McMath. "The second half we were more focused, made the ball touch both sides of the court, and got our post players more involved in the game."

DC is back in action Wednesday night as they host Mott Community College. Tipoff is 7:30 at Pioneer gym.