Pioneers Finish First Half of Conference Season on High Note

Port Huron - The 2015-2016 basketball season has had many peaks and valleys for the Delta College Pioneers. Coming off a tough loss at Schoolcraft, DC was looking to get things rolling again and gain some momentum heading into the second half of the conference season.

Wednesday night offered that next peak and the Pioneers hope that they will continue to climb.

Delta got a huge road victory over the St. Clair Skippers, 79-50, to improve to 4-16 overall and 4-4 in the MCCAA East, putting them in 5th place. The Skippers drop to 12-8 and 4-4 in the MCCAA East.

"I was very pleased with how the guys played tonight," said head coach Carlos McMath. "We assisted on over half of our field goals, we shared the ball, and guys played unselfish."

From the opening tip, the Pioneers played with passion, intensity and energy. With a suffocating defense, they forced nine Skipper turnovers and were able to run the floor. In their half court offense, they collected nine assists on fourteen first half field goals to a 27-19 lead with five minutes left in the half. Jovon Thomason capped off the half with a break-away dunk and the Pioneers took a 36-25 lead into the locker room.

In the second half, Delta continued to apply pressure and went on a 27-8 run to build a thirty point margin, 63-33, with 10 minutes to play. From there on, DC salted away the clocked and executed in the half court to secure the victory.

The Pioneers were led by Tyler Ellis with 18 points, six rebounds, four assists, and five steals. In a return to his hometown, Jovon Thomason had 16 points, eight rebounds and three steals. Martel Handley and Jon Swift added 13 and 11 points, respectively.

"We have been battling injuries for quite a while now and guys need to step up. Guys need to accept their roles and rise to the occasion when called upon," said McMath.

"Our rotation is starting to solidify, our offense is becoming more fluid, and our defensive execution is getting better. Our performance tonight showed what we are capable of doing. I am very excited for the second half of conference to start."

Delta opens up the second half of conference play on Saturday against first place Macomb Community College. The Pioneers won the first matchup earlier this season, 83-77, in overtime.

The game will begin at 3:00pm in the Pioneer gymnasium on the campus of Delta College.