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Ohio Wesleyan 68, Defiance 67
Nov. 28, 2007
![[ Jesse Jean ]](../images/jean3.jpg)
Senior post Jesse Jean (Alexandria, Va./Hyde (Conn.) School) scored with :13 left in regulation time to lift Ohio Wesleyan over Defiance in non-conference action on Wednesday in Defiance.
Defiance had led, 67-64, with 2:11 remaining, but Jean stole the ball and scored with 1:13 to play to bring the Bishops within a point, and after a Yellow Jacket miss, Jean cleared the rebound to set up the deciding possession.
After the Bishops took the lead, senior wing Brian Cafarella (Westerville/North) sealed the win by stealing the ball with :02 to play.
Defiance had taken a 5-0 lead on a Johnson lay-in and a 3-pointer by Bryan Post only to see the Bishops respond with 5 straight points tie the game on a jumper by senior post Dustin Rudegeair (Yellow Springs) and a Cafarella 3-pointer.
Ohio Wesleyan then broke a 10-10 tie with a free throw and a 3-pointer by Cafarella and a tip-in by junior wing Kyle Holliday (Van Wert), but this time the Yellow Jackets came back to tie it at 18-18 as Nate Helton converted a 3-point play and Josh Stuckey hit a lay-in. The Bishops would build another 6-point first-half lead, but Defiance came back and led, 36-34, on Nick Sales's buzzer-beater at the end of the first half.
Defiance threatened to pull away midway through the second half, assembling a 12-0 run to turn a 50-47 deficit into a 59-50 lead. Johnson hit a pair of free throws, Anthony Jackson followed with a jumper, Johnson sank 3 more free throws, Deon Thompson hit a fast-break lay-in and Kasey Bodenbender buried a 3-pointer to give the hosts a 9-point edge at the midway point of the second period.
The Bishops chipped away at the deficit, with senior guard Casey Teeters (Westerville/Columbus St. Charles) hitting a key 3-pointer and senior post Ryan Rozak (Fairview Park/Fairview) hitting 3 free throws to bring Ohio Wesleyan within 62-60 with 4:43 remaining, setting up the final minutes of regulation time.
Jean led the Bishops with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Cafarella finished with 16 points and Rudegeair scored 15 points.
Johnson led Defiance with 16 points, Anthony Pettaway added 14 points and Nick Sales contributed 12 points and 10 rebounds.
