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Huntington College 2003-04 Season Summary Thwaits, Yoder
earn All-American honors The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) has announced the Division II Men’s Basketball All-American awards for the 2003-04 season. Senior Foresters Ryan Thwaits and Derek Yoder earned third-team and honorable mention honors, respectively. The Foresters concluded the season with a 25-9 overall record and an appearance in the NAIA Sweet Sixteen at the national tournament. Thwaits, an entrepreneurial small business management major from Syracuse, Ind. (Fairfield High School), led the Foresters this season in rebounds (8.4 rpg), assists (180) and steals (61). Nationally, Thwaits was 19th in Division II in defensive rebounds and 18th in assists. He averaged 10.3 points per game and finished his career with 1,119 points. This marks his second All-American honor in as many years as he was named an honorable mention All-American last season. Derek Yoder, a psychology major from Shipshewana, Ind. (Westview High School), led the Foresters in scoring, averaging 14.9 points per game. Yoder proved a consistent threat behind the arc all season, as he led the Foresters in three-point field goal percentage (.475) and three-point field goals made (105-221). Yoder ranked fifth nationally in Division II in three-point field goal percentage and 10th nationally in three-point field goals made. He finished his Huntington career with 934 points. This marks his first All-American honor.
Banged-up Foresters
Fall Short A bruised and battered Forester squad gave the #4-seeded William Jewell Cardinals all they could handle, but fell 74-69 in the round of sixteen at the NAIA Division II National Tournament. After a poor shooting first half, HC was behind 34-28 at the half, but rallied to take a 45-42 lead on a Justin Riegsecker trey seven minutes into the second stanza. The Foresters continued to ride the momentum adding to their lead with Kyle Ganton’s old-fashioned 3-point play matching their largest lead of the game at 58-50 with 8:46 left to play. HC still held a seven point lead at 64-57 three minutes later, but the Cardinals went on a 7-0 run to knot the score at 64. Chase Verba connected on one of two free throws to give the Foresters a 65-64 lead, but William Jewell hit a field goal as the shot clock expired and knocked down enough free throws over the final two minutes to stave off the Foresters’ threat. Sophomore Steve Snider took top scoring honors in the game with 25 points on 9 of 13 shooting, including 7 of 7 from the line. He also grabbed a game-high 7 rebounds. Ganton and Riegsecker were the only other Foresters to reach double figures, scoring 12 and 11 respectively. Pierre Jallow led three Cardinals in double digits with 17. The Foresters conclude their season with a record of 25-9. Box Score Foresters Win Overtime Thriller 3/11/04
The third time was the charm. In opening round action at the NAIA Division II National Tournament, the Huntington College Foresters knocked off the 13th-seeded and defending champion Northwestern Red Raiders 103-100 in overtime to advance to the Sweet Sixteen round. The Foresters were finally able to turn the tables on the Red Raiders who had ousted them from the tournament the previous two years. But it wasn’t easy. Huntington needed some final second heroics from Derek Yoder and Justin Riegsecker to push the game to an extra period. Down 92-88 with 12 seconds left in regulation, HC’s Chase Verba fouled Northwestern’s Nick Harthoorn who sank both free throws to give the Red Raiders a seemingly insurmountable six-point lead at 94-88. The Foresters pushed the ball up the floor and set a few screens to try to spring Yoder. Northwestern’s Marcus Leloux fouled Yoder on a 3-point attempt with :07 showing on the clock. Yoder stepped to the line and calmly drained all three, making it a one-possession game at 94-91. HC immediately fouled on the inbounds pass sending Red Raider Jeff Schaap to the line. Schaap missed both attempts and gave HC the opportunity they’d hoped for with 3.7 seconds remaining. Following a timeout, HC’s Ryan Thwaits threw a 3/4-court pass to Riegsecker coming off a screen about six feet behind the arc. Riegsecker caught the pass, took a dribble to his right and launched the shot that hit the bottom of the net as time expired, completing the unbelievable comeback at 94-94. In the overtime, neither team could take command of the game. Both were stuck at the century mark until HC’s Steve Snider put back a Riegsecker miss to give the Foresters the 102-100 lead with 1:17 to play. Northwestern’s Corey Winterfield threw the ball out of bounds on the Red Raiders’ next possession, giving the ball back to HC with :53 left. The Foresters used the entire shot clock and Kyle Ganton’s missed jumper was rebounded by Northwestern’s Schaap. Following a Red Raider timeout, Winterfield tried to make a pass to a teammate on the baseline, but Riegsecker came up with a huge steal, forcing the Red Raiders to foul him. Riegsecker hit one of two from the stripe and Harthoorn’s 3-point attempt at the buzzer was off the mark, giving the Foresters sweet revenge. The Foresters put five in double digits in the game with Thwaits scoring a team-high 24 points to go along with seven rebounds and six assists. Riegsecker finished with 22 off the bench, Verba added 21, Ganton 16, and Yoder 11. Schaap, who missed the two free throws at the end of regulation, hit just about every shot he took in the game to score 38 points on 17 of 19 shooting. Leloux added 20, Winterfield 14, and Cody Kuipers 11. The Foresters move to 25-8 on the season and await the winner of the #4 William Jewell/Maine Machias game for their second round game at 6:15 p.m. on Friday, March 12. Box Score Foresters
Branson Bound Again Not only is participating in the Men's Division II National Tournament something familiar to the 24-8 Foresters, so is their first round opponent. The unseeded Foresters will face the 13th-seeded Northwestern College Red Raiders (22-8) in their first round game, the same Red Raider team that ousted HC from the previous two national championships. Last season, Northwestern knocked out the Foresters 74-60 in the quarterfinals and went on to win the 2003 national title. In 2002, HC fell 92-80 to the Red Raiders in the round of sixteen. Perhaps, as they say, the third time is the charm. The defending champion Red Raiders lost several key players to graduation, including the NAIA National Player of the Year and National Tournament MVP, Brandon Woustra, 6'10 center Reid Van Dis, 6'5 forward Jerod Hoegh, and 5'9 point guard Keith Ranschau. Most of the Foresters remember at least one of the losses and are anxious for round three. The two teams will square-off on Thursday, March 11 at 6:15 p.m. The winner of the will take on the winner of the #4 William Jewell/Maine-Machias game on Friday, March 12 at 6:15 pm. Complete Bracket MCC Announces
Post-Season Awards The Mid-Central Conference (MCC) has announced its awards for the 2003-04 season with several Foresters receiving special recognition. Senior Ryan Thwaits was a First Team All-Conference selection, senior Derek Yoder received Second Team honors, sophomore Chase Verba was a Third Team selection and sophomore Steve Snider received Honorable Mention honors. Joining Thwaits on the First Team were MCC Co-Players of the Year Tim Adams (Marian College) and Eric Ford (Taylor University), David Keister (Bethel College), and Eric Walsh (Goshen College). Doug Bell (Taylor University) and Trey Eaton (University of St. Francis) were named Co-Newcomers of the Year. Marian College's John Grimes received Conference Coach of the Year honors. Foresters Fall
in Semi-Final The NAIA Division II 18th-ranked Taylor University Trojans upset the 14th-ranked Foresters 68-51 in the semi-finals of the Mid-Central Conference tournament. The first half was a defensive battle that kept both teams' shooters from getting many good looks. The period came to a close with the Trojans holding a slim 28-26 lead. In the second stanza, Taylor’s shooters heated up going 11-18 from the field to keep the Foresters at bay. The turning point in the contest came with HC down 53-49 and 4:39 left in the game. The Foresters had an opportunity to cut further into Taylor's lead, but Matt Lettinga picked Justin Riegsecker's pocket on a baseline drive, which then led to an Eric Ford 3-pointer at the other end . HC could get no closer the rest of the way as Taylor went 10-10 from the line to seal the victory. Trojan Doug Bell dominated the paint and led all scorers in the game with 20 points on 7-10 shooting. Matt Traylor and Eric Ford chipped in 18 and 13 respectively in the winning effort. HC's Derek Yoder and Chase Verba scored 14 and 12 to lead the Foresters. The loss knocks the Foresters from the MCC Tournament and drops them to 24-8 for the season. The men must now wait for word as to whether they will receive an at-large bid to the NAIA National Tournament in Branson, Missouri on March 10-16. Box Score Foresters
Escape With Win The NAIA Division II 14th-ranked Foresters escaped with the 73-71 win over the Goshen College Maple Leafs in the opening round of the Mid-Central Conference Tournament. Goshen twice held as much as an eight-point lead in the first half at 32-24 and 34-26, but the Foresters battled back to take a slim 43-42 lead to the locker room. In the second half, each time HC put together a run, the Maple Leafs found an answer. With 2:36 left on the clock, HC’s Steve Snider hit two free throws to give the Foresters a 67-61 lead, but back-to-back threes by Goshen’s Jordan Buller and Jeremy High knotted the score at 67 with 2:06 left to play. Forester freshman Seth Lochmueller hit what may be the biggest shot of his young career when he took a dish from Ryan Thwaits and nailed a trey from the corner to give the Foresters a 70-67 lead with 1:43 showing on the clock. A lay-up by High brought the Maple Leafs back within one at 70-69, but two free throws from Derek Yoder and another from Trevor Shively gave Huntington enough to squeak out the win. A three-point try at the buzzer by Goshen’s Tyler Sheerer was off the mark. Goshen’s High led all scorers in the game with 20 points. HC’s Snider scored 14 points and grabbed 7 rebounds to lead the Foresters. Huntington, now 24-7 on the season, will host the #3-seeded Taylor University Trojans on Saturday, February 28 at 3:00 p.m. in the semi-finals of the MCC Tournament. Box Score Aggressive Foresters Win
At Line The NAIA Division II 19th-ranked Foresters concluded the regular season with a 69-57 win over Indiana Wesleyan University. HC was able to overcome shooting just 33% for the game by controlling the boards and drawing numerous fouls with their aggressive play. The Foresters grabbed 24 offensive rebounds in the game to IWU's 9 and knocked down 30 of 47 frees throws, while the Wildcats went 10-15 from the line. In their final regular season contest, HC seniors Derek Yoder and Ryan Thwaits led the way scoring 21 and 11 points respectively. Steve Snider was the only other Forester in double figures with 10. Aaron Brothers led IWU with 17. The win moves the men to a 23-7 overall and a second place finish in the conference with their 10-4 record. In first round MCC Tournament action on Wednesday, February 25, the #2-seeded Foresters will host the #7-seeded Goshen College Maple Leafs at 7:00 p.m. Box Score Foresters Win
Defensive Battle In a defensive standoff where every possession was a hotly-contested battle, it was the NAIA Division II 19th-ranked Foresters that won the war 50-43 over the 22nd-ranked Taylor University Trojans. In the first half with both teams displaying their defensive muscle, the period ended practically in a stalemate with Taylor holding a slight edge at 19-18. The second half continued to be a seesaw battle with neither team able to mount a sustained offensive threat. With 4:44 showing on the clock, Taylor's Matt Traylor hit two free throws to bring the Trojans within two at 40-38. HC responded with its two biggest baskets of the game, back-to-back treys by Ryan Thwaits and Adam Bontreger, giving the Foresters their largest lead of the game at 46-38 with 2:38 remaining. Taylor's Doug Bell scored a lay-up to cut it to 46-40, but freshman Kyle Ganton connected on four straight charity tosses to give HC a 50-40 lead with 18 ticks left on the clock. A 3-pointer by Matt Traylor with :08 left cut the final margin of victory to seven. Senior Derek Yoder connected for 13 points to lead the Foresters in scoring. Ganton finished with 12 off the bench for HC. Eric Ford led a trio of Trojans in double figures with 13 points. The win gives the Foresters a 22-7 record overall and moves them into sole possession of second place in the MCC with a 9-4 record with one game remaining. Box Score HC Stunned By
Grace The Grace College Lancers came back from a 12-point deficit in the second half to stun the NAIA Division II 18th-ranked Foresters 66-62. HC ran out to a 22-8 lead early in the game, but the Lancers closed to within seven at the break at 34-27. A 7-2 run to begin the second half seemingly put the Foresters back in control of the game at 41-29, but Grace would not go away. The Lancers turned the tide with a 15-2 run of their own to take their first lead of the game at 44-43 with 9:33 left on the clock. HC re-gained the lead moments later at 48-46, but Grace put together a 9-2 spurt to give them the lead for good. The Lancers then hit seven free throws in the final minute to complete the upset. HC's Derek Yoder led all scorers in the game with 18 points. Justin Riegsecker was the only other Forester in double figures with 13. Corey Smith hit for 14 to lead a trio of Lancers in double digits. With the loss, the Foresters fall to 21-7 on the season and drop to second place in the MCC with their 8-4 record. Box Score Foresters Get
Important Road Win The NAIA Division II 18th-ranked Foresters went on the road and grabbed an important 84-75 victory over a hot, Bethel College squad. The win halted Bethel's three-game winning streak and kept HC atop the conference standings with three regular season games remaining. The upset-minded Pilots shot out to an early 19-8 lead, but the Foresters regrouped and out-scored Bethel 27-13 over the final ten minutes of the half to take a 35-32 halftime lead. HC extended its lead to as many as 11 at 54-43 in the second half, but the Pilots would not go away. A lay-up from Pilot junior, Adrick Hills, got the Pilots to within 4 points (76-72) late in the contest, but the Foresters closed it out from the line where they out-scored the Pilots 19-8 for the game. HC's Derek Yoder led all scorers in the game with 26 points, a new career high, on 7-11 shooting, including 6-10 from downtown and 6-6 from the line. Chase Verba also came up big for the Foresters recording a double-double in the game with 19 points and 12 rebounds. Kyle Ganton added 11 off the bench. The Pilots were led by Ricky Gooden's 17 points. With the win, the men raise their record to 21-6 overall and 8-3 in the MCC. Box Score HC Grabs Share
of Conference Lead The Foresters, ranked 18th in the latest NAIA Division II poll, completed the sweep over the 6th-ranked Marian College Knights with their 72-67 win. The win also gives HC a share of the conference lead with four games remaining. After handing the Knights their worst loss of the season, a 73-52 thrashing in their first meeting, the Foresters knew the second round would be a dogfight. With 47 fouls called and 57 free throws taken, the game was as physical as expected. Both teams' defenses dominated the first ten minutes of the game as Marian held a slim 14-12 lead with 10:38 remaining. A steal by HC's Steve Snider and his resulting jumper started a 13-2 run to give the Foresters a lead they would never lose. HC headed to the locker rooms up 36-28 and increased the margin to 14 early in the second half, before the Knights made their run. Marian closed to within two points on two occasions, but each time HC had an answer. The Foresters then went 5-6 from the line over the final 1:11 to seal the win. Justin Riegsecker and Kyle Ganton both scored 15 points to lead the Foresters. Derek Yoder and Snider finished with 11 and 10 points respectively. Marian's Jordan Dever led all scorers in the game with 17. With the win, the Foresters pick up win number 20 against 6 losses on the season and are 7-3 in the MCC. Box Score Foresters
Rebound With Win The NAIA Division II 18th-ranked Foresters dominated the offensive boards to run away with the 77-59 win over the Goshen College Maple Leafs. HC grabbed 22 of their misses to Goshen's 11 to help give them an additional 17 shot attempts in the game. The Foresters held a 39-32 lead at the break and increased the lead to as many as 24. The Leafs put together a 17-2 run midway through the second half to close within 60-51, but HC responded with a 17-8 spurt to seal the victory. HC’s Justin Riegsecker scored 16 to lead the Foresters while Steve Snider added 14 points and 8 rebounds. Ryan Thwaits grabbed game-high 15 boards for the Foresters. Goshen’s Eric Walsh topped all scorers in the contest with his 22 points. The win raises the Foresters' record to 19-6 on the season and 6-3 in the conference. Box Score Foresters Fall
in OT The Foresters came up short in a rough and tumble contest that saw both teams lose three players to fouls, falling 78-77 to the University of St. Francis in overtime. With 11 lead changes and nine ties in the game, neither team could get the upper hand. HC's Justin Riegsecker had a chance to seal the win with :05 left, but missed one of the two free throws that would have put the Foresters up four. With the door left open, the Cougars' John Gensic took advantage of the opportunity and drained a 3-pointer with 1.7 second left to send the game to the extra period. In overtime, the Foresters were just 3-9 from the field while the Cougars made a living at the line going 9-10 from the stripe. With the Cougars up 76-74, HC's Ryan Thwaits missed a jumper with 7 seconds remaining, forcing the Foresters to have to foul. Nick Ankenbruck hit both free throws to make it a two possession game, so Derek Yoder's trey at the buzzer left the Foresters one point short. Thwaits took game-high honors in the game with his 23 points. Riegsecker came off the bench to add 21 points and a team-high 10 rebounds. Gensic led the Cougars with 18. With the loss, the men drop to 18-6 on the season and 5-3 in the MCC. Box Score Foresters Move
to 5-2 in MCC After a sluggish start, the NAIA Division II 13th-ranked Foresters took care of business downing the Wildcats of Indiana Wesleyan University 90-77. Just 3-13 from the field to start the game, the Foresters found themselves down 18-7 to the Wildcats, but an old-fashion 3-point play by Kyle Ganton ignited a 16-2 Forester run to propel them to a 23-20 lead and an eight-point advantage at the half. HC extended the lead to as many as 14 early in the second half, but Indiana Wesleyan would not go away. The Wildcats fought back to within five on several occasions and were down 65-60 with 6:44 left in the game, but a jumper by Steve Snider and an Adam Bontreger trey pushed the lead back to 10 a minute later. The Foresters then sealed the victory at the line, knocking down 11-12 charity tosses in the final two minutes. HC's Derek Yoder took game-high honors with 24 points on 10-14 shooting, including 4-6 from behind the arc. Forester freshman Kyle Ganton dropped in 21 points in just his second start this season, and Chase Verba grabbed a game-high eight rebounds to go along with 16 points. Aaron Brothers hit for 18 to lead the Wildcats. On a side note, HC senior Ryan Thwaits scored the 1000th point of his career on a 3-pointer midway through the second half. He entered this evening's contest needing seven points to reach the milestone and scored nine in addition to dishing out seven assists and grabbing five rebounds. The Foresters improve to 18-5 on the season and are 5-2 in the conference at the midpoint of the MCC schedule. Box Score Cold Shooting
Hinders HC After hitting 60% of their field goals in the first half, the NAIA Division II 8th-ranked Foresters went stone cold hitting just 7 of 23 shot attempts (30.4%) in the second half and fell 81-68 to MCC foe Taylor University. HC's Derek Yoder hit a 3-pointer as time expired to give the Foresters a 34-31 lead at the break, but the Trojans went on a 10-0 run to open the second half and never gave up the lead the rest of the way. Yoder tied his career high with 24 points to the Foresters and Steve Snider added 17 points and 5 rebounds. The Trojans' defense held HC's other three double digit scorers (Ryan Thwaits, Chase Verba, and Justin Riegsecker) to four or less points for the game. Eric Ford, who scored eight of the 10 points in Taylor's early second half run, finished the game with 30 points. Matt Traylor and Doug Bell added 22 and 12 points respectively. The loss drops the men to 17-5 on the season and 4-2 in the MCC. Box Score Foresters
Handle Grace The NAIA Division II 8th-ranked Foresters handed a struggling Grace College its fifth consecutive Mid-Central Conference loss, defeating them 82-66. The game was marked by a number of runs by both teams with HC grabbing the 24-15 lead midway through the first half. The Lancers responded with a 9-0 run to knot the score at 24 only to watch the Foresters answer with a 20-7 run to close out the half and take a 44-31 lead to the locker room. HC added to its lead early in the second half and was up 62-44 with 12:27 on the clock when a trey by Lancer Corey Smith launched an 11-0 run to bring Grace back within seven at 62-55. HC's Justin Riegsecker stopped the Lancer run with a long 3-pointer from the top and ignited a 12-0 run by the Foresters to put the game out of reach. Derek Yoder went 8-10 from the field, including 4-4 from behind the arc, to lead five Foresters in double figures with 20 points. Riegsecker finished with 18 points off the bench for HC and Chase Verba grabbed a game-high nine rebounds to go along with his 14 points. Leigh Batts hit for 22 to lead the Lancers. The win improves the men's record to 17-4 on the season and 4-1 in conference play. Box Score HC Holds on to
Top Bethel The Foresters held off a feisty Bethel College Pilot squad to pick up their third Mid-Central Conference win 81-78. Although HC owned as much as a 13-point lead in the second half, the Pilots would not go away. With 4:25 left in the game, Steve Snider's jumper put the Foresters up 72-64. That would be the last field goal HC would hit in the game. A minute later, Snider hit two from the charity stripe to keep the lead at eight, but then four consecutive missed free throws by the Foresters opened the door for a 5-0 Pilot run. Trevor Shively finally stopped the run with two free throws with 1:05 left on the clock. Following to free throws by Bethel's David Keister, HC's Justin Riegsecker stepped to the line and knocked down two to move the lead back to five at 78-73 with :21 remaining. Keister cut the lead to 78-75 on a jumper with six second left and the Pilots immediately fouled Riegsecker, who hit one of two at the stripe. Bethel's Thomas Jackson knocked down a three with :01 remaining and the Pilot's called a timeout, only they had none left. Shively hit the two foul shots from the ensuing bench technical foul to complete the scoring and give HC the hard-fought victory. Derek Yoder went 9-15 from the field for 21 points to lead the four Foresters in double figures. Riegsecker and Ryan Thwaits added 15 apiece and Snider finished with 11. Keister took game-high honors with 25 for the Pilots. The win moves the men to 16-4 on the season and gives them a share of first place in the MCC with their 3-1 conference record. Box Score Foresters
Up-End #6 Marian The #19-ranked Foresters ran out to a 15-point first half lead and never looked back as they upset the #6-ranked Marian College Knights 73-52. Tied at 15 with 8:42 on the clock, HC went on a 21-6 run to finish the half and continued to build its lead to as many as 28 in the second half to earn the convincing win on the road. The Foresters used hot shooting and hustle on the defensive end to keep the Knights at bay. HC shot 59.6% for the game and held Marian to just 34%. HC's defense also forced the Knights into 22 turnovers in the game. Chase Verba and Justin Riegsecker both scored 14 points to lead the Foresters. Derek Yoder and Ryan Thwaits added 11 and 10 points respectively. The Knights were led by Jeremy Budreau's 13 points. The win raises the men's record to 15-4 on the season and 2-1 in the conference. Box Score Foresters Halt
Goshen's Win Streak After a disappointing loss on Tuesday to open conference play, the Foresters responded with an 82-73 victory on the road over Goshen College which halted the Maple Leafs 16-game winning streak. HC overcame a slow start to the game and battled back to take a 40-38 half-time lead. In the second half, the Foresters shot 54% from the field and held Goshen to 36% to propel them to the important win on the road. Justin Riegsecker came off the bench to lead HC with 17 points. Adam Bontreger had a season-high 16 points, going 6-7 from the field and 4-5 from behind the arc, to go along with his 6 assists. Chase Verba and Kyle Ganton added 15 and 13 points respectively. Goshen's Jeremy High led the Maple Leafs with 17. The win moves the men to 14-4 on the season and evens their record at 1-1 in the MCC. Box Score St. Francis
Stuns Foresters On opening night in Mid-Central Conference play, the Cougars of St. Francis stunned the NAIA Division II 13th-ranked Foresters, knocking off HC 85-69 at the Merillat Complex. The Foresters owned a 48-43 lead with 11:30 left in the game, but then the wheels fell off HC's offensive machine. Over the next five minutes, the Forester offense managed just one free throw from Justin Riegsecker, while St. Francis poured in 21 points on its offensive end to take a commanding 64-49 lead. HC was unable to get any closer then 12 as the two teams traded baskets over the final six minutes. The Foresters finished the game shooting a dismal 38.5% from the field and just 61.9% from the line. The Cougars were led by John Gensic who dropped in a game-high 24 points on 7-13 shooting, including 4-8 from downtown. Ryan Thwaits had 16 points and 11 rebounds to lead HC. Chase Verba was the only Forester to reach double figures with 13 points. With the loss, the Foresters fall to 13-4 on the season and are 0-1 in the MCC. Box Score Foresters Rout
Judson The NAIA 18th-ranked Foresters had little trouble handling Judson College, routing the Eagles 111-66. HC ran out to a 45-22 half-time lead and cruised to the victory. The Foresters shot 52% from the field for the game and held the Eagles to just 40% shooting. They out-rebounded Judson 54-35, and dished out 30 assists in the game to just 16 by the Eagles. HC's Derek Yoder led all scorers in the game with 24 points, including 6-11 from behind the arc. Kyle Ganton and Trevor Shively came off the bench to score 16 and 15 respectively for the Foresters, while Steve Snider and Justin Riegsecker each added 13. Ryan Thwaits grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds for HC. Kenny Rose led a trio of Eagles in double figures with 19 points. The win concludes the Foresters' pre-conference schedule with a record of 13-3. HC begins play in the Mid-Central Conference next Tuesday, January 6th when they play host to the Cougars of St. Francis at 7:00 p.m. Box Score HC Upsets #2
Cedarville The NAIA Division II 18th-ranked Foresters (12-3) upset the 2nd-ranked Yellow Jackets of Cedarville University (OH) (10-4) 81-68. After playing to a 40-40 tie at intermission, HC’s defense limited the Yellow Jackets to just 28 second half points on 38% shooting to secure the win. The Foresters also made the most of their opportunities from the charity stripe out-scoring Cedarville 26-5 at the line. HC’s Kyle Ganton led five Foresters in double figures with his 14 points off the bench. Adam Bontreger, Derek Yoder, Justin Riegsecker and Ryan Thwaits all finished with 12 points. Thwaits also grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds for HC. Josh Zarrilli led Cedarville University with 12 points. The win moves the men to 12-3 on the season. Box Score Foresters Hold Off St.
Francis The Foresters hit enough free throws down the stretch to hold off the Fighting Saints of the University of St. Francis and pick up their eleventh win of the season 79-70. HC held double digit leads on numerous occasions throughout he game, but could not put St. Francis away. With just under five minutes left on the clock, HC was up 69-59 when the Fighting Saints began fouling to try to get back in the game. Although the Foresters hit just 12 of 18 charity tosses in the final minutes, St. Francis could get no closer than six. Derek Yoder dropped in 22 to lead HC, but got help from four others who scored in double figures. Chase Verba finished with 18, Steve Snider had 12, while Ryan Thwaits and Kyle Ganton each added 10. Thwaits also grabbed a team-high 11 rebounds. Eric Epps scored 22 to lead the Fighting Saints. With the win, the men improve to 11-3 on the season. Box Score HC Claims
Tourney Title The Foresters recovered from a slow start to knock off Trinity International University 70-51 to claim the Santa Lucia Invitational title. HC shot a dismal 31 percent in the first half, which led to a 31-28 deficit heading into the locker room, but the Foresters responded with a 42 -point second half, while holding the Trojans to just 20 points on five field goals. HC's Kyle Ganton came off the bench to lead five Foresters in double figures with 18 points. Two other Foresters contributed double-doubles in the game. Steve Snider had 15 points and 10 rebounds, while teammate, Ryan Thwaits added 11 points and 13 rebounds. Chad West and Brandon Brown each had 10 points to lead the Trojans. HC earned a berth in the title game by defeating Hannibal-LaGrange University 87-67 in Friday night's contest. Five Foresters reached double digits in this game as well with Snider scoring 16 to take team-high honors. Thwaits had another double-double with 11 rebounds and 11 assists in the game. Trojan Kellen Fernetti led all scorers in the game with 21 points. The two wins improve the men's record to 10-3 on the season. Box Scores Rio Defense Stymies Foresters The University of Rio Grande Redmen used aggressive defensive play to stymie the Forester offense and pick up the 70-59 win. The Redmen's pressure gave HC few good looks at the basket and held them to 36% shooting in the game. Steve Snider was the lone Forester to reach double figures in the contest with 14 points. Derek Yoder and Chase Verba added 9 points apiece, and Ryan Thwaits had eight points and a team-high 10 rebounds. Cedric Hornbuckle came off the bench to lead the Redmen with 16 points. The loss drops the men to 8-3 on the season. Box Score Second Half Surge
Lifts Foresters The Foresters rebounded from a sluggish start to pick up their fourth consecutive win, defeating Trinity International University 80-54. With the Forester defense lacking its normal intensity, the Trojans took advantage early and finished the half with a 38-36 lead. HC returned to the floor with a vengeance allowing Trinity International just five field goals in the second half and out-scored the Trojans 44-16 to run away with the win. Forester Derek Yoder led all scorers in the game with 18 points on 6-8 shooting, including 4-5 from downtown. Steve Snider, Chase Verba and Kyle Ganton joined Yoder in double figures scoring 15,14 and 11 points respectively. Snider and Verba each grabbed nine rebounds to lead HC. Jared Kieffer scored 11 points to lead the Trojans. With the win, the men improve to 8-2 on the season. Box Score HC Hall of Fame Champs The Foresters used a disciplined offense and solid fundamentals to take the bite out of the Bulldogs of Barat College early and cruised to the 96-66 win to earn the Hall of Fame Classic title. A 20-2 run during a five minute stretch in the first half gave HC a commanding 38-16 lead and they never looked back. "Our first 28 minutes today were the best we've played at home this year," said Coach Platt. "We had good ball movement, good inside-outside play and a tough defense, and I was really proud of the guys." HC's Derek Yoder was the top scorer in the game with 19 points, which included 5 field goals from behind the arc. Steve Snider (18 points, 10 rebounds) and Chase Verba (13 points, 11 rebounds) each had double-doubles in the game for the Foresters. HC's Ryan Thwaits, who was named the Classic's MVP, added 14 points and 8 rebounds. Barat's John Foster had 18 points to lead the Bulldogs. Other members of the All-Tournament team were HC's Snider, Verba, and Yoder, Barat College's Foster, and Strayer University's Hugh Jones. Box Score Foresters Rout IU East The Foresters took on the Pioneers of Indiana University East in first round action of the Huntington College/Ness Bros. Hall of Fame Classic and came away with a 109-52 rout. The Pioneers hung with HC early and were down just 11-8 five minutes into the contest. The Foresters then took command of the game with a 17-0 run over the next five minutes and finished the half out-scoring IU East 38-8. The second half was more of the same with HC dropping in 60 points while allowing the Pioneers just 36. Every Forester that took the floor contributed to the offensive effort with seven of them reaching double figures. HC's Chase Verba, who brought the crowd to its feet with a couple impressive dunks, took game high honors with 17 points on 7 of 8 shooting. Teammate Andre Fouda just missed a double-double with 10 points and a team-high 9 rebounds off the bench. Jason Hargrove led the Pioneers with 16 points. The win puts the Foresters in tomorrow's championship game at 3:00 p.m. They will take on the Barat College, a 94-92 winner over Strayer University in tonight's first game. Box Score Foresters Outlast
Indiana Tech Facing an undefeated Indiana Tech squad, the Foresters came up with big baskets and defensive rebounds down the stretch to grab the 76-67 win and hand the Warriors their first loss of the season. HC had mounted an 11-point lead at 64-53 with 6:13 left in the game, but Indiana Tech out-scored the Foresters 11-3 over the next two and a half minutes to come within three at 67-64. Three free throws by Ryan Thwaits and a Warrior trey brought the score to 70-67 with 2:24 remaining. Back to back jumpers by Steve Snider and Derek Yoder gave HC some breathing room while HC rebounders cleaned up four Warrior misses over the final two minutes of the game. Yoder took game-high honors with 22 points, including 6 field goals from behind the arc. Chase Verba added 18 points and 8 rebounds and Snider chipped in 16 points and 6 rebounds. Thwaits finished with eight points and a team-high 12 rebounds. Luke McKenna scored 13 to lead the Warriors. Box Score #13 Cornerstone
Takes Down HC Playing in their fifth consecutive road game, the Foresters had every intention of upsetting NAIA Division II 13th-ranked Cornerstone University and completing the five-game sweep, but the Golden Eagles survived the upset bid, squeaking out the 80-79 win over the #22-ranked Foresters and ending the winning streak at four. HC trailed 78-76 with five seconds remaining, when Ryan Thwaits sliced through the Golden Eagle defense for a layup, only to have it roll off the rim. Forced to foul, the Foresters sent Cornerstone guard, Jim Cochran, to the line. Cochran hit both and a Derek Yoder 3-pointer at the buzzer accounted for the final score. "We knew it would be tough," said Coach Platt. "We won four out of five straight road games, but when the most recent one is the loss, that kind of leaves a bad taste in your mouth." HC's Steve Snider scored a career high 29 points on 12 of 17 shooting to lead four Foresters in double figures. Yoder, Thwaits, and Kyle Ganton added 14, 13 and 11 points respectively. Thwaits also led the team with 13 rebounds and four assists. The loss drops the men to 4-2 on the season. Box Score Foresters Win
Fourth in a Row With shots not falling, the Foresters relied on their stingy defense to secure their fourth consecutive victory on the road, defeating Purdue University Calumet 57-52. With their offense floundering, the Foresters found themselves down four with 7:40 left in the game, so the defense took over. HC held the Lakers scoreless in the final 7 minutes and scored nine unanswered points to grab the come-from-behind win. Neither team shot well in the game as HC went 22 for 59 from the field for 37.3%, while Purdue Calumet was 18 for 50 for 36%. The Foresters gave themselves more scoring opportunities by pounding the boards and coming up with 13 offensive rebounds to just 6 for the Lakers. Steve Snider took top scoring honors for the Foresters with 16 points while Ryan Thwaits added 12 points and a team-high 9 rebounds. The win raises the men's record to 4-1 on the season. Box Score Foresters Knock
Off Urbana The road continues to be kind to the Foresters as they picked up their third win in a row away from the Merillat Complex, this time, an 88-74 victory over Urbana University. HC again came out blistering the nets to the tune of 53.8% to take a 39-29 lead at the half. They then went 15 for 23 (65.2%) in the second half to keep the Blue Knights at bay. Derek Yoder led all scorers in the game with 22 points on 8 for 14 shooting, including 4 for 9 from 3-point land. Ryan Thwaits added 17 points and five rebounds, and Justin Riegsecker contributed 16 off the bench for the Foresters. Urbana's Antonio Davis had 16 points to lead the Blue Knights. With the win, the men improve to 3-1 on the season. Box Score Foresters Upset
#9 St. Xavier The Foresters, ranked 22nd in the NAIA Division II preseason poll, traveled to Chicago to take on St. Xavier University and upset the NAIA Division I, 9th-ranked Cougars 90-71. HC found its range early, shooting a blistering 61% (19-31) from the field in the first stanza while using its defense to hold St Xavier to 30% (9-30) from the field. By the end of the half, the Foresters had built a commanding 52-24 lead and cruised to the 19-point victory. "I feel like we've improved a great deal," said Coach Platt. "The offense can be up and down, but the defense is something all coaches want to constant. Our consistency on defense is what got us these last two wins." HC showed great balance on the offensive end with Steve Snider leading five players in double figures with 18 points. Justin Riegsecker came off the bench to give HC a lift with 16 points, while Derek Yoder, Chase Verba and Adam Bontreger finished with 15, 12, and 10 respectively. Ryan Thwaits just missed a triple double in the game with 9 points, 9 assists and 11 rebounds. The win improves the men's record to 2-1 on the season. Box Score Forester Defense
Corrals Cougars The Foresters got off to a slow start in their first road game of the year, but put together a solid defensive effort in the second half to cruise to the 71-56 win over Spring Arbor University. Down 34-29 at the half, HC held the Cougars to 33% (8/24) shooting in the second half, while going 14 of 28 from the field themselves. Ryan Thwaits and Derek Yoder led the Foresters with 17 points apiece. Thwaits also grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds. Steve Snider was the only other Forester in double figures with 10 points. Spring Arbor's Micah Lancaster took game-high honors with 20 points. The win evens the men's record at 1-1 on the season. Box Score IUS Spoils HC's
Season Opener The Grenadiers of Indiana University Southeast spoiled the Foresters season opener, knocking them off 80-72. HC mounted an eight-point lead at 26-18 midway through the first half, but a 23-5 IUS run to end the half gave the Grenadiers a 41-31 lead as they headed to the locker room. IUS came out strong in the second half and extended its lead to 56-39 with 13 minutes to play. Following a timeout, HC regrouped and picked up its intensity on the defensive end. The aggressiveness paid off as the Foresters picked up three steals and forced two more turnovers, leading to a 10-2 run to bring them within nine. A 3-pointer by Derek Yoder and seven straight points by Justin Riegsecker drew HC within five at 64-59, but that was as close as they would get. The Grenadiers hit seven of nine free throws down the stretch to seal the win. Riegsecker came off the bench to lead the Foresters with 15 points. Yoder chipped in 12, going 4-6 form behind the arc. Chase Verba and Steve Snider each added 10 points and Verba grabbed a team-high 8 rebounds. IUS guard, Robert Daniels led all scorers with 22 points. Box Score
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