Defiance, Oh.  — The Aquinas men's basketball team closed its regular season with a hard-fought 84-75 loss to the Defiance Yellow Jackets on the road. The Saints battled through multiple momentum swings and second-half lead changes but could not overcome a late Defiance surge.

Aquinas 75, Defiance 84

Jordan Bledsoe opened the scoring for Aquinas, and Caden Pokorzynski followed with two layups and a free throw to give AQ a quick 7-2 advantage. Defiance answered, but Cameron Moore's layup kept the Saints in front, 9-4. The Yellow Jackets trimmed the deficit to one before a Bledsoe three-pointer and a jumper from Tjay Jones restored a four-point lead at 14-10.

Defiance responded with a push of its own, briefly pulling ahead 18-14, but a Caedmon Huff layup brought AQ within two. The Yellow Jackets later stretched the margin to eight before Moore drained a three and Jacob Howard added a jumper to cut the deficit to three. Aquinas stayed within striking distance, and two free throws from Devon Boyd tied the game at 36-36. A late Defiance layup, however, sent the Saints into halftime trailing 38-36.

Jones opened the second half with a basket to tie the game, but the Yellow Jackets responded with a seven-point run. A jumper from Bledsoe and two Huff free throws pulled AQ within three at 45-42. The Saints continued to battle, and Pokorzynski converted inside to reclaim a 51-49 lead.

Defiance answered again, building a 58-51 advantage midway through the half. David Day knocked down a three-pointer to cut the deficit to two at 60-58, and two free throws from Bledsoe gave Aquinas a brief one-point edge. The teams continued trading leads until the Yellow Jackets used an eight-point run to create separation. The Saints fought to close the gap, but Defiance secured the 84-75 decision.

Coaches Comments

"We showed toughness and heart tonight, especially with the way we kept battling back when the momentum swung," said head coach Ryan Bertoia. "We had stretches where we executed really well on both ends, but against a team like Defiance you have to sustain that for 40 minutes. This group will learn from it and be ready to respond when the postseason begins."

By the Numbers

• David Day lead Aquinas with 16 points.

• Boyd, Bledsoe, and Pokorzynski each recorded two steals.

• Tjay Jones dished out four assists.

• Caden Pokorzynski controlled the glass with nine rebounds.

Up Next

The Saints now turn their attention to postseason play as they prepare for the upcoming conference tournament.