DC busts slump to start new year behind Angtsmann's double-double

ANN ARBOR, Mich. - The Defiance Yellow Jackets broke a five-game losing streak to start the 2025 portion of the schedule with a 69-58 win over the Concordia Cardinals at the Cardinal Fieldhouse on Saturday.

The Yellow Jackets (4-9, 2-6 WHAC), playing a countable contest for the first time since Dec. 18, picked up their first victory since Nov. 20 and earned the program's first road victory since Dec. 21, 2022. The loss dropped the Cardinals (4-9, 1-6 WHAC) to 0-5 all-time against Defiance.

Evan Angstmann led the Defiance charge with 19 points but also secured game-high 12 rebounds in the victory, both setting new highs for his first season as a Yellow Jacket. Defiance also featured a new starting five with Jordyn Jury getting his sixth start while Devonte Curry and Christian Burton starting their first game of the year alongside Angstmann and Carter Sudhoff.

DC clamped down defensively in the first half and held the Cardinals to 16 points in the first half, nine of which were scored at the line as Concordia shot an anemic 13 percent from the field. The contest started with Defiance on a 10-1 run starting on a free throw by Curry and a jumper by Jury. Over the last 10 minutes of the opening half, Angstmann started an 18-6 run into the locker room with a two of his four 3-pointers for the game.

In the second half, the Cardinals righted the ship and outscored DC 42-39, but the deficit was too far to overcome. Both squads shot over 50 percent after halftime.

THE TURNING POINT
Defiance led by double figures for most of the contest but Concordia cut the lead to single digits with 4:12 left in the game. The Yellow Jackets responded with a healthy dose of buckets near the rim by Carter Sudhoff, who scored 12 of his 14 points after halftime. In the last three minutes of the game, Sudhoff tallied eight points on the interior that included a short 6-0 burst before the Cardinals posted five points in the final 30 seconds.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• The win was the first road victory for the Yellow Jackets this season. It awarded the team their first road win in conference play since winning at Bluffton on Feb. 18, 2022.
• The Jackets' 49 percent shooting percentage was the team's best since they shot 54 percent against Miami-Middletown.
• DC also connected on nine 3-pointers, the second-most in a game this season.
• Evan Angstmann's double-double was the second by a Yellow Jacket player this year, joining Jalen Brown on Nov. 23 vs. Lourdes.
• Devonte Curry recorded his first double-figure scoring game of the year with a 10-point showing.
• Jordyn Jury logged six points in the start and chipped in all over the floor with two steals, three rebounds and three assists.
• Christian Burton dished out a season-best four assists to lead the team.
• Jalen Brown was the top contributor off the bench with eight points highlighted by a pair of 3-pointers. 
• Ahmir Ruffin recorded his first collegiate points during the victory, hitting a 3-pointer at the 3:21 mark of the first half.

UP NEXT
Defiance plays the team's final non-conference game of the season on Wednesday with a trip to Miami-Middletown. Tipoff against the Thunderhawks is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.