Matthew Welsh
Contributing Writer

LEXINGTON, KY— Transylvania men's basketball earned a convincing 81–42 victory over Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) opponent Earlham College on Wednesday night at the Clive M. Beck Center.

Hunter Barr led all scorers with 16 points and paced the Pioneers on the glass with eight rebounds. Ian Reesor added four assists, while Jaxon Smith and Drew Marshall each made key contributions throughout the contest.

Transylvania jumped out to a fast start, opening the game with back-to-back three-pointers from Smith and Luke Idlett. The Pioneers scored the first 13 points of the game and held a 13–3 advantage at the first media timeout. Earlham was limited to just seven points over the opening 10 minutes as Transylvania built a 28–7 lead. The Pioneers continued to control the tempo, extending the margin to 37–14 with five minutes remaining in the half before taking a 41–20 lead into halftime.

Smith led Transylvania with nine first-half points, while Marshall grabbed a team-high five rebounds. The Pioneers shot 51.6 percent from the floor and 46.7 percent from three-point range in the opening half.

Transylvania carried its momentum into the second half, outscoring Earlham 18–11 to open the period. Barr and Marshall delivered back-to-back dunks early in the half to set the tone, as the Pioneers extended their lead to 59–31 at the 10-minute mark. Transylvania continued to pull away, leading 73–37 with five minutes remaining before closing out the game at 81–42.

For the game, the Pioneers shot 53.3 percent from the field and 42.3 percent from beyond the arc. The win improves Transylvania to 9–8 overall and 6–4 in HCAC play.

Key Stats
- Transylvania outscored Earlham 39–5 in bench points
- Transylvania outscored Earlham 27–12 in points off turnovers
- Transylvania outrebounded Earlham 41–19

Transylvania returns home on Friday, Jan. 23, 2026, to face Anderson University. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Transylvania University is a proud member of NCAA Division III and the HCAC. For the latest information on Transylvania Athletics, visit transysports.com and follow @TransySports on Instagram.