During the second game of a Friday night double-header, on Feb. 1, DVC Men’s basketball played host to the Sierra College Wolverines in a Big 8 Conference showdown.

Those in attendance seeking fast-paced, sharp-shooting, and physical basketball certainly got their money’s worth. From the opening tip-off, the Wolverines approached the Vikings with a persistent intensity grounded by a full court man-to-man pressure defense.

The Vikings countered the Wolverines’ style of play by showing multiple looks and formations of half court zone defenses. The contrasting styles of attack resulted in a low-scoring and somewhat erratic first half from both teams’ offenses.

For much of the first half, the Vikings were forced to make a living offensively off of swift dribble penetration from guards Jelani Hardaway and Connor Jean. While the Vikings created some good looks on mid-range jump shots, they committed one too many turnovers to establish a true offensive rhythm for much of the first half. The multitude of zone-defensive looks from the Vikings was enough to keep the Wolverines off-balance and also forced quite a few turnovers.

Due to the excellent spacing of DVC’s zones, Sierra College resorted to many outside shots. Center John Ocon and his backup Kunle Fashola dominated the boards, exhibiting fierce physicality and pulling down rebound after rebound on the defensive end of the court. It wasn’t until the final few minutes of the first half that the Wolverines were able to rain in a few three-pointers, separating themselves from the Vikings and giving them a 30-23 halftime lead.

Coming out of the half, the Wolverines cranked up the defensive intensity. The Vikings were forced into some ill-advised shots and a few more turnovers. Fatigued from trying to handle the defensive pressure, the Vikings loosened up a bit on defense.

Still heating up from their nice shooting display at the end of the first half, the Wolverines capitalized off of the Vikings’ turnovers by adding four more three-pointers in the second half. Midway through the half, the Vikings found themselves trailing by 14. However, the Vikings were not ready to throw in the towel just yet.

Point Guard Jelani Hardaway rallied the Vikings by leading a late game surge on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. Hardaway was virtually unstoppable for much of the game, totaling a game-high 22 points and re-energizing the entire offense.

With three minutes to go, Fashola drew his second charge, leading to the Vikings capitalizing on a deep three-pointer from Hardaway. The gap was closed to a 60-59 Wolverine lead. On the ensuing possession for the Wolverines, standout guard Devin Murphy drew a foul on John Ocon while making the basket and fouling Ocon out of the game. This sparked a huge momentum shift from that point forward, and the Vikings were never able to recover from the blow. Though the DVC Vikings came roaring back, they fell short 68-61.