CINCINNATI, Ohio - November 24, 2024 - Hiram men's basketball went down to the wire against a strong team out of the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association, Albion College, but ultimately lost in a neck-and-neck battle, 84-81, on Sunday late afternoon on the campus of Mount St. Joseph.
The game marked the last of the week for the Terriers at the Lauren Hill Tip-Off Classic inside the Harrington Center in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Trent Jakacki was a force throughout the game, scoring a game-high 26 points, which included a perfect 10-10 on free throws. The senior also added five assists, four rebounds, one block and one steal in a game that saw neither team lead by more than 11 points.
Brock Makrancy had the best shooting game of his collegiate career, going 8-11 from the field – including 5-7 from beyond the arc – to give him a career-high 21 points. Mitchell Wiechecki and Ivan Yang manned the painted area in a big way, as the frontcourt duo combined for five blocks and a pair of steals.
The game was a tale of two halves, with the two teams combining for 101 points in the first half but just 64 points in the second half. The fast-paced, high-scoring nature of the first 20 minutes transitioned into a tough, grind-it-out second half in which neither offense could find a rhythm, particularly in shooting the 3-pointer.
Makrancy was red-hot in the first half, already setting a new career-high for points in a game with 17 during that span. The Marietta transfer had four 3-pointers, including a triple to give Hiram a 46-43 lead with 2:24 remaining in the half. Jakacki also had 16 points in the opening half, which saw Hiram lead by as many as 11 points but trail one point at the intermission.
The second half was highlighted by a 13-0 Hiram run, which began with a pair of free throws from Jakacki and ended on a jumper from Makrancy. The rally turned a 53-50 deficit into a 63-53 lead, putting Hiram in position to claim a fourth victory.
Albion answered with an impressive effort on both ends of the floor; the Britons scored 16 of the next 18 points in the game to regain a 69-66 advantage with 7:45 to play. Hiram cut the margin to one point on multiple occasions over those final seven minutes, but couldn't get over the hump in what turned out to be a one-possession loss.
The Terriers will now prep for the start of their conference schedule, which begins this upcoming Saturday with a road matchup against Wabash. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. from Chadwick Court in Crawfordsville, IN.
