DEARBORN, Mich. – The University of Michigan-Dearborn men's basketball team picked up a crucial win in a Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference game against No. 5 Indiana Tech Wednesday at the UM-Dearborn Fieldhouse.
Down early, the Wolverines stormed back late in the first half to trail 38-35 at the break. With several lead changes and neither team able to build larger than a six-point lead, the second half was a thrilling battle.
Indiana Tech looked poised to take control, holding a 78-72 lead with two minutes to play, but UM-Dearborn rebounded. After a layup from senior Jason Penn (SR/Detroit, MI), junior Mafiaion Joyner (JR/Battle Creek, MI) drained a 3-pointer to cut the Warrior lead to one with 33 seconds to go. The Wolverines fouled to send Indiana Tech to the line where Dylan Phair missed the front end of a one-and-one.
On the ensuing possession, Penn was fouled under the basket and he split a pair of free throws to tie the game to force overtime. From there, Joyner took over, scoring the first six points of the extra session and seven total. Sophomore Cody Kegley (SO/Yale, MI) added four points in the extra frame and UM-Dearborn prevailed 91-84. The fourth straight win for the Wolverines pushes their record to 16-10 overall and 11-5 in the WHAC.
Penn finished with 27 points on 9-of-16 shooting while adding 12 rebounds for a double-double. Joyner recorded 17 points, including three second-half 3-pointers, while junior Donovan Farrell (JR/Detroit, MI) added 12 points and five rebounds. Junior Xavier Crofford (JR/Detroit, MI) and senior Gage Throgmorton (SR/White Lake, MI) each added 10 points, while Kegley finished with nine points and nine assists.
The Wolverines shot 31-of-68 from the field, 10-of-30 from deep and 19-of-30 from the line.
The Warriors were led by Darren Groves with 27 points and 18 rebounds, while Joel Wincowski added 25 points.
After play on Wednesday, UM-Dearborn sits in third place, a half-game ahead of Aquinas and one game in front of Madonna University.
The Wolverines continue WHAC play against Aquinas College at 3 pm Saturday in Grand Rapids, Mich.
