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Warhawks steal a victory in Ohio

WOOSTER, OHIO — UW-Whitewater’s men’s basketball team stole a victory Friday night.

Dupree Fletcher stole a pass and scored with 14 seconds left to give the Warhawks the lead, and D.J. Dantzler’s steal with a second left sealed the victory as Whitewater rallied for a 75-71 win over Defiance College in a first-round NCAA Division III regional game.

Whitewater (22-5) plays host College of Wooster at 6 p.m. today, with the winner advancing to the sectional play next weekend.

Wooster defeated Grove City College of Pennsylvania, 63-52, in Friday’s second semifinal game.

The Warhawks trailed most of their game, including a 10-point deficit with 12:38 to play. Dustin Mitchell, the WIAC Player of the Year, and Dupree Fletcher led the rally as the Warhawks clamped down defensively.

Mitchell, who finished with 17 points, hit a three-point basket with 37 seconds left to tie the game at 71-71. Fletcher’s lay-up off his steal gave Whitewater its first lead of the second half at 73-71 with 14 seconds left.

“I thought the last eight minutes of the game, we really played under control,” Whitewater coach Pat Miller said. “We were a little tight coming out, and the matchup kind of bothered us because we tend to struggle against transition teams like Defiance. But the last eight minutes, we made it a half-court game, and that was the difference.”

Fletcher led the Warhawks with 18 points, while Dantzler added 11 and Phil Negri had 10.

Nick Sales led Defiance

(23-5) with 27 points.

“They’re a nice team,” Miller said of Defiance. “We knew that coming in, but we didn’t panic when we got down, and found a way to get out of here with a win.

“Tomorrow, with a game under our belt, we should be a lot more relaxed and ready to play right away.”

WHITEWATER 75, DEFIANCE 71

Defiance (71)—Floyd 1-6 0-0 3, Campbell 1-1 1-2 3, Brown 6-9 0-0 13, Conley 1-2 0-2 2, Sales 11-22 5-7 27, Ky. Tietje 3-5 1-3 7, Armstrong 1-3 0-0 3, Ke. Tietje 3-5 1-3 7, Wolfrum 4-9 2-2 12. Totals: 28-57 10-18 71.

Whitewater (75)—Free 0-2 0-0 0, Negri 2-6 4-4 10, Mitchell 6-9 4-7 17, Edmunds 1-3 0-0 2, Bendall 2-7 1-4 6, Dantzler 2-9 7-8 11, Fletcher 8-15 2-2 18, Burns 1-3 2-2 4, Vines 2-6 3-3 7. Totals: 24-60 23-28 75.

Defiance College 31 40—71

UW-Whitewater 30 45—75

Three-point goals—Defiance 5-15 (Floyd 1-3, Brown 1-2, Ky. Tietje 0-1, Armstrong 1-3, Wolfrum 2-6), Whitewater 4-21 (Free 0-1, Negri 2-6, Mitchell 1-1, Bendall 1-4, Dantzler 0-4, Fletcher 0-4, Burns 0-1). Rebounds—Defiance 36 (Sales 15) , Whitewater 33 (Bendall 7). Defiance 8 (Sales 4), Whitewater 8 (Negri 2). Total fouls—Defiance 22, Whitewater 18. Fouled out—Ke. Tietje.