Hanover, IN – The Transylvania men's basketball team erased a nine-point second half deficit to force overtime and win on the road against the Hanover Panthers, 84-78.  

Freshman guard Cooper Theobald (24 points) and sophomore forward Robert Dence (17 points) led Transy in scoring while senior forward Parker Stansberry (14 points) and junior guard Alex Jones (11 points) also enjoyed double-digit scoring nights.

 On the defensive side, TU had a team total of 10 blocks as Stansberry and sophomore forward Tim Bickel led the charge with three each. Junior guard Alex Jones, Theobald, and Dence all joined the party as well with a combined four blocks.

Transylvania prevented potential second-chance points by claiming 29 defensive rebounds. Jones led the way in rebounding seven boards, and was followed closely by Dence, who had six. Theobald and Bickel each contributed with four rebounds apiece.

The Panthers jumped out to an early 2-0 lead before both teams traded baskets back and forth over the next five minutes, leading to a 10-8 Hanover lead. Stansberry and Theobald combined for all of Transylvania's first eight points.

Hanover built a lead of five three different times over the first half, but Transy responded each time to tie the score. With the Pioneers pulling within one at the 5:33 mark of the first half, Hanover went on a 9-2 run to establish a 38-30 lead. Two free throws by Dence lessened the Pioneer deficit to six at the halftime break.

When play resumed, Dence hit a jumper in the paint 21 seconds into the second half to bring Transylvania within four points. But Hanover would go on another run to establish their largest lead of the game with a nine point edge (49-40).   

Transylvania would not go away and climbed their way back into the contest, cutting Hanover's lead to one point at 57-56 on a field goal by Jones. Transy would eventually take their first lead of the game, 58 to 57 on a pair of Jones free throws with 6:24 remaining in the second half.

Ball control was an issue, as the Pioneers struggled with turnovers, giving it up 11 times throughout the game. Taking advantage of key Pioneer turnovers within the last five minutes, the Panthers went on a seven-point run to take a 68-63 lead with 3:00 left in regulation.

But that lead would dwindle again and Transy reclaimed the lead, 69-68 with 0:38 left in the half. The Pioneers suddenly took control in the final half minute, as Theobald was fouled on a rebound and hit two free throws with nine seconds left to boost Transy's lead to three.

The Pioneers' resolve was tested as Hanover's Wes McKinney splashed home a game-tying three-pointer with one second remaining to send the contest into overtime.

But it was Transylvania who appeared to be the revitalized team, opening up overtime on a gradual 6-0 run over the first 3:20 of the extra period for a 77-71 lead. TU kept a six-point lead until Hanover pulled within three via a triple, making it 81-78 Transylvania with 29 seconds left in overtime.

The Pioneers created some breathing room with a pair of Theobald free throws seconds later for a five-point lead. Hanover attacked once more, but sophomore guard Isaiah Pollard came up big with a steal to help Transy hold on for the clutch road win.

In the victory, Transylvania outshot Hanover 49.2 percent to 43.5 percent from the field, but withstood a hot-shooting Panthers team from outside, who went 10-for-25 for the night.

Transylvania improved to 7-6 in HCAC play, moving into a tie for the final tournament seed with Manchester. The Pioneers moved to 8-12 overall with five games remaining in their 2015-16 conference campaign.

The Pioneers return home Saturday as part of a doubleheader to face Bluffton, who enters the matchup 5-8 and clinging to playoff hopes. The first jump ball is set for 4:00 p.m. at the Beck Center.

For more on Transylvania men's basketball, follow on twitter @TransyHoops