PIONEER MEN GET MUCH NEEDED WIN ON THE ROAD

Dearborn, Michigan -  

The Delta College men's basketball team was in need of a win Wednesday night when they traveled to Henry Ford Community College.  They had lost back to back league games and were fighting for playoff contention.  To make matters worse, the Pioneers were without freshman center, Virgil Walker.  Walker, who is averaging 8.1 points and 6.6 rebounds on the season, was sidelined with the flu.  Despite being short-handed, the Pioneers put forth a gutsy performance and grinded out a 66-63 win over the Hawks.                               

The first half was a defensive battle as both teams struggled to get much going on offense.  At the 2:26 mark of the first half, the Pioneers held a slim lead 22-21.  Delta guard, Jonathan Swift, then sparked a 6-2 run to end the half and Pioneers went into the locker room with a 28-23 lead.                      

The Pioneers found their rhythm coming out of halftime and built the lead up to 14 points, 47-33, with ten minutes remaining.  Henry Ford would not go down without a fight and knocked down 7 second half 3 pointers.  With less than a minute remaining, the Pioneers held on to a two point lead.  Two key free throws by Torion Wilson and Jonathan Swift kept the lead at 66-63 and the Pioneers locked down defensively to preserve the victory.                 

"It definitely wasn't a pretty game," said head coach Carlos McMath.  "We had two of our big men foul out in the second half and we had to rely on our smaller scrappier defenders.  We didn't shoot well from the foul line either, 18-34 (53%), but the guys found a way to win and get the job done."    

Trey Newsham led the Pioneers with 19 points.  Jonathan Swift added 12 points, 9 assists, and 7 rebounds.  Allante Wheeler and Jovon Thomason chipped in with 11 and 10 points, respectively.                    

"We needed a win bad and I honestly didn't care how we got it," said McMath.  "We had a lot of different guys step up tonight and play different roles.  It was nice to see the guys pull together and win on the road."        

The Delta Men's basketball team (10-10, 6-6) will host Mott Community College (19-5, 8-3) on Saturday.  Earlier this season, the Bears beat the Pioneers 67-66.  Game time is 3:00 at Pioneer Gymnasium.