Box Score
LEXINGTON, Ky. - Transy head coach
Brian Lane used his bench to spark a furious rally and guide the Pioneers past Hanover 72-67 on Wednesday at the Beck Center.
In a matchup of HCAC co-leaders, the Panthers (9-4, 5-2 HCAC) led 40-39 at the half, due in large part to shooting 6-for-7 from three-point range.
The game turned when, trailing 36-29, Lane subbed in
Trey Beuttel,
Matthew Clevenger,
Tommy Sirkin and
Michael Stone with 4:12 to go in the first half.
"They lifted the intensity and were able to get some buckets for us," said Lane. "It was huge and it certainly gave our starters a lift."
Beuttel, Clevenger, Sirkin and Stone's energy ignited a 37-16 Pioneer rally that carried well into the second half.
Nick Fudge also came off the bench and chipped in six first-half points in eight valuable minutes.
"These guys go against our starters every day in practice, and a lot of the time, they beat 'em," added Lane. "They can really play."
Transy would hold Hanover to 10-for-27 shooting (2-for-9 from three) in the final 20 minutes.
Ethan Spurlin led the Pioneers with 26 points on the night, which has become customary for the reigning HCAC Player of the Week. In his past three games, the junior has scored 77 points, averaging 25.7 per contest. He has made 22 of 24 free throws in that span.
Barrett Meyer scored 15 points and dished out four assists, and was joined in double figures by
Brandon Rash, who added ten points, four rebounds and three assists.
The Pioneers scored the first nine points of the second half en route to a run that pushed them ahead by as many as 14. Spurlin, Meyer, and Rash scored all of Transy's 33 second-half points.
Transy came into the matchup in a three-way tie for first place in the HCAC with Hanover and Rose-Hulman, whom the Pioneers host on Saturday.
"We knew this was going to be a big week for us," said Lane. "Rose is going to be coming in here playing with a whole lot of confidence with a team that beat us last year up there. We'll need to come out and play much, much better than we did tonight, especially in the first half."
Transy faces Rose-Hulman on Saturday at the Beck Center, with tip-off set for 3 p.m. The Pioneers are 20-2 in their last 22 games at home.
