Dalton Christopher
Assistant Athletic Director - Communications & Media
dchristopher@transy.edu

LEXINGTON, KY - Transylvania defended home court in their first game of the 2024-25 campaign at the Clive M. Beck Center, defeating Earlham 87-70 on Wednesday. 

Hunter Penn led the Pioneers with 20 points and 15 rebounds while Hunter Barr added 17 points and seven rebounds. Colby Napier (14 points, five assists), Ian Reesor (13 points, five rebounds) and Dakota Capps (10 points, five assists) rounded out the five Pioneers reaching double figures in the win. 

Transylvania went into the half with a four point lead, 44-40, after a competitive first period with the Quakers. Jaxon Smith opened the second half with a contested field goal, finishing through contact and earning an extra point at the free-throw line. Transylvania would find the opportunity to expand their lead with ten minutes remaining in the second half as Ian Reesor's three-point field goal and Hunter Penn's jumpshot gave the Pioneers a double digit lead. With 07:10 remaining, Capps would force the steal and finish at the basket on a fastbreak opportunity to expand the lead to sixteen. Reesor's three-point field goal with less than four minutes remaining would give Transylvania a 20 point advantage, pushing the Pioneers to the finishline of an 87-70 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) victory. 

"Our guys made a big adjustment defensively after halftime, Earlham was really pushing the ball in transition in the first half and got some easy baskets," said Transylvania Head Coach Brian Lane. "Once we started running the floor the way we need to, we started getting some stops. Holding Earlham to 0-10 from three-point range in the second half shows we have it in us. We just need to do that for fourty minutes. I loved how we shared the basketball, thirty five field goals on twenty five assists is impressive. Hunter Penn had the kind of game we need from him every night with 20 points and 15 rebounds. It was great to see Hunter Barr back on the court after missing the first four games of the season recovering from injury."

Key Stats

- Transylvania outscored Earlham 21-5 in second chance opportunties.
- Transylvania outscored Earlham 56-28 in the paint. 
- Transylvania outscored Earlham 13-7 in points off turnovers. 

Up next for Transylvania is another HCAC matchup in Cincinnati, as the Pioneers take on Mount St. Joseph on Saturday, December 7th at 3 p.m.

Transylvania University is a proud member of NCAA Division III and the HCAC. To keep up to date with all of Transylvania Athletics, check out our website at www.transysports.com and follow @TransySports on Instagram