Box Score HANOVER, Ind. – The Panthers (13-8 overall, 8-5 HCAC) celebrated Alumni Day on Saturday afternoon welcoming Manchester in Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference action. Hanover claimed the win, 74-67.
The Panthers also recognized the 50
th anniversary of the 1973-74 team and their many accomplishments as well as retired jersey number 52 worn by Dennis Laker from 1970-1974.
Hanover was paced on the afternoon by senior
Ty Houston (Union, Ky.) with a team-high 27 points and nine rebounds. The senior netted seven three-pointers shooting an impressive 77 percent from three-point. Freshman
Cam Freeman (Indianapolis, Ind.) added 14 points for the Blue and Red.
The Spartans pushed the tempo from the opening tip-off using their transition offense to create opportunities. They were able to claim the 10-3 advantage when Houston hit a corner three-pointer to halt the surge.
Hanover continued to attack the rim as Freeman was able to get an old fashion three-point play at the 14:38 mark that pulled HC within 12-11. They flipped the script at the 14:03 mark with freshman
CJ Walls (Louisville, Ky.) netting back-to-back blows. However, Manchester responded with a run of their own that saw them pull within 30-27. But the Panther offense remained red hot as a 15-0 run propelled them into halftime leading 44-31.
Houston showed his range in the opening moments of the second half using a deep shot before a Freeman three-point goal saw HC on top 50-33. The Spartans found themselves in a bit of a shooting woe as Hanover was able to capitalize. The Panthers used the three ball to do just that with back-to-back three-pointers by Walls and Houston, 56-41.
With all the momentum, Houston helped pull the contest nearly out of reach. The fifth year senior hit his sixth three-pointer of the afternoon at the 12:17 mark giving Hanover the commanding 61-43 advantage. However, Manchester began to grind using their post presence to erase the Panther advantage. They were able to pull within 71-66 when the fifth year once again provided his seventh deep ball of the contest. The rest was history as Hanover weathered the storm and secured the win.
Hanover returns to action on Wednesday, Feb. 7 when they travel to Rose-Hulman. Game time is slated for 7:30 PM.
