Undermanned Pioneers Struggle in Loss to Schoolcraft

Livonia, MI – Playing on the road against one of the top teams in the country was a task the Pioneers knew would be tough.  Add to that difficulty the fact that the Pioneers were without the services of freshman guard Jovon Thomason and freshman forward Devin Smith and that would make it even tougher.   None the less, the DC men's basketball team took the floor and battled to the end, dropping a 94-65 decision to the Ocelots.  With the loss, the Pioneers drop to 3-4 in the MCCAA East and 3-16 overall.  Schoolcraft, meanwhile, improves to 10-10 on the year and 4-2 in conference play.

Right from the opening tip, the Ocelots came out firing on all cylinders hitting 6 of 14 shots from behind the three point line and assisted on 14 of 17 field goals to build a 14 point halftime lead, 47-33. The Pioneers used all ten players in the half but couldn't get it going on the offensive end shooting just 36.1% from the floor.

The second half was much like the first as Schoolcraft continued their torrid shooting hitting on 50% from the field to continue to build on their lead. They would finishe the game with four guys in double figures, led by Ja'Christian Biles  with 25 points.

The Pioneers were led by Jon Swift's 21 points and eight rebounds. Mason VanPamel added 14 points while Tyler Ellis finished with 12.

"The culture of a program is directly correlated to a team's success," stated Delta Head basketball coach Carlos McMath after the game,  "Doing things the right way, 100 percent of the time is the only way to get things done. Success starts with putting time in watching yourself and your opponent on film, being fundamentally sound, and being a leader on and off the court.

"The culture that my coaching staff and I are trying to establish at Delta College will take time but it will also take the right guys to buy into the system. At this stage of the season, that is the key."

Delta wraps up the first half of the conference season on Wednesday and currently holds the seventh place spot in the East.  The top eight teams make the post-season. 

"With the second half of the conference season right around the corner, we have a great opportunity to win ball games and make a run in the postseason. We need to keep instilling Pioneer pride, handle adversity, and write the script for the future of this program."

Wednesday's game in Port Huron is scheduled for a 7:30pm tip-off.