DEFANCE, Ohio – Lawrence Tech used a dominant first half and a timely free throw from Lake McIntosh in the final seconds to hold off Defiance College 67–64 on Saturday night at the Karl H. Weaner Center.
Clinging to a 66–64 lead after a furious second-half rally by Defiance, Lawrence Tech put the ball in McIntosh's hands in the closing moments. The guard drew a foul and knocked down the first of two free throws with eight seconds remaining to push the advantage to three. Defiance's last-chance possession came up empty, allowing the visitors to escape with the nonconference win in front of an announced crowd of 211.
Lawrence Tech's margin was built in the first half, when the Blue Devils turned a tight game into a 37–22 halftime cushion with a late surge. Damian Thompson sparked the run with a 3-pointer to make it 29–18, then McIntosh followed with a 3-pointer and a fastbreak layup to extend the lead to 36–18. A late free throw from Alberto Morati in the final seconds sent Lawrence Tech into the locker room up 15 and firmly in control.
The Blue Devils continued to apply pressure early in the second half. Kerem Sariaslan converted a layup and free throw at the 17:48 mark to push the lead to 40–25, and Thompson buried another 3-pointer moments later for a 45–27 advantage. Lawrence Tech led by as many as 18 before Defiance began to claw back behind hot perimeter shooting.
Defiance rode multiple 3-pointers from Evan Angstmann to trim the deficit into single digits, then leaned on Christian Burton and Donovan Stone to keep the pressure on. Stone knocked down four 3-pointers and added a dunk as the hosts seized momentum, and a late push fueled by Stone and Wren Sheets cut the Lawrence Tech lead to a single possession in the closing minute. Despite being outscored 42–30 in the second half and seeing Defiance finish 11-for-28 (39.3 percent) from beyond the arc, Lawrence Tech's late-game defense and rebounding were enough to preserve the result.
Statistically, Lawrence Tech's balance and work on the glass proved decisive. The Blue Devils finished 22-for-54 (40.7 percent) from the field and 7-for-27 (25.9 percent) from 3-point range, while holding Defiance to 37.7 percent shooting overall. Lawrence Tech owned a 39–35 edge on the boards, including 16 offensive rebounds, and blocked seven shots. The visitors also generated 16 made free throws on 28 attempts, compared with Defiance's 13-for-20 night at the line.
Individually, Ramon Zapater turned in a double-double to anchor Lawrence Tech's interior play, posting 15 points and 12 rebounds, including five on the offensive end, while going a perfect 5-for-5 at the free-throw line. Thompson added 13 points, six rebounds and two assists, hitting three 3-pointers and providing several key second-half baskets, including a deep 3-pointer with 5:23 left to push the lead to 60–54. McIntosh finished with 11 points, three steals and two assists, factoring heavily into both the first-half surge and the closing sequence at the stripe.
Burton paced Defiance with 17 points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals, while Stone chipped in 14 points with four 3-pointers. Their efforts led a resilient Yellow Jackets comeback that forced Lawrence Tech to execute under pressure in the final minute.
With the road win secured, Lawrence Tech now turns its attention back to Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference play. The Blue Devils are scheduled to return home Jan. 21 to host the University of Michigan-Dearborn in a key WHAC matchup at Don Ridler Fieldhouse.
