Kolby Wohl
Contributing Writer

On a night defined by resilience, defensive grit, and late-game execution, the Transylvania Pioneers stormed back from a double-digit halftime deficit to defeat Mount St. Joseph 59–55 in an overtime thriller on Saturday inside the Clive M. Beck Center. The win pushes Transy to 3–3 on the season and a strong 2–0 start in Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference action.

Mount St. Joseph came out strong in the first half, shooting 50 percent from the field while frustrating the Pioneers with physical defense and timely perimeter shooting. The Lions closed the half on a steady run and carried a 31–21 advantage into the locker room, their largest lead of the game.
But the second half belonged to Transylvania.

The Pioneers opened the half with a renewed defensive presence, forcing turnovers, limiting second-chance opportunities, and gradually tightening the gap. Jaxon Smith sparked the momentum swing with a deep three early in the period, and from there, Transy slowly chipped away at the deficit. Hunter Barr became an interior anchor on both ends, swatting shots and battling for tough rebounds, while Drew Marshall steadied the offense with forceful drives and smart decision-making.

With just over six minutes to play, a Luke Idlett corner three put Transylvania in front for the first time since the opening minutes. From that point on, both teams traded blows in a possession-by-possession battle.

Jaxon Smith delivered one of the biggest shots of the night, a deep three with 2:08 remaining, to stretch Transy's lead to five. "I just knew that we needed to get a bucket right there. It was a really good pass … Those are the ones that you got to hit to win. So yeah, after we hit that, I feel like that kind of just set us up for a good position," Smith delivered after the win.

Unfortunately, Mount St. Joseph answered right back, capitalizing on a couple of late Pioneer turnovers. The Lions crawled back and, after a Cooper Ollis three with 15 seconds remaining, held a one-point lead in the final moments.

Needing a basket to save the game, Transylvania executed with poise. With one second remaining, sophomore guard Mathew Menninger stepped into a game-tying three, drilling the shot that sent the Beck Center into chaos and forced overtime with the score even at 50–50.
In the extra period, Transy's depth and composure carried them across the finish line. Barr opened OT with a strong take to the rim before Brandon Rowe added a layup to keep the Pioneers in control. Marshall then converted a transition layup to extend the lead to three, and solid defensive rotations limited MSJ to just one made field goal in the five-minute frame.

Down the stretch, Dakota Capps calmly knocked down a pair of crucial free throws with eight seconds remaining, giving the Pioneers the two-possession cushion they needed to close out the win. Transy held the Lions scoreless over the final 48 seconds to secure the 59–55 victory.
Transylvania outrebounded the Lions 41–37 and held them to just 23 percent shooting from three while overcoming their own slow offensive start. After hitting just 7-of-26 in the first half, the Pioneers found their rhythm late, shooting 66 percent in overtime.

The win marks Transy's second straight conference victory and builds important momentum as the Pioneers continue HCAC play on Saturday. Transylvania returns to action Dec. 13, with a 2 p.m. HCAC road game at Bluffton University in Bluffton, Ohio.

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