CEDARVILLE, Ohio – Seniors led the Ohio Dominican men's basketball team to a 78-71 win in Great Midwest Athletic Conference action over Cedarville Thursday evening in the Callan Athletic Center.

Hasan Varence (Queens, New York), Sam Hickey (Toledo, Ohio) and Michael Scott (Hebron, Ky.) all scored in double figures to lead the Panthers to the win. Varence led the way scoring 25 points and grabbing a team high eight rebounds while Hickey scored 22 points and Scott notched 17 points with five assists off the bench. Michael Simon (Hilliard, Ohio) also came off the bench to score eight while grabbing three rebounds in the win.

With the score 66-62 with 3:14 remaining, a Matt King (Mason, Ohio) offensive rebounds gave the Panthers a second chance and Varence took advantage of it knocking down a three to make the score 69-62 with 3:02 to play in the contest. Later, with the Panthers clinging to a three point lead at 71-68 with 1:15 remaining, Scott nailed the three point dagger with 42 seconds to go in which the Panthers finished the contest with free throws from Scott and West to clinch the win.

The Panthers and Yellow Jackets each started slow as Cedarville jumped out to a 4-0 lead less than two minutes in and the Panthers would go on a 17-5 run to grab a 17-9 lead capped by a Hickey three with 11:44 remaining in the first half. Cedarville would climb back to within one at 20-19 with 3:57 remaining in the half but a Scott three ended the Jacket run in which ODU finished on a 7-2 run to send the teams into the half at 27-21.

The Panthers held the Yellow Jackets to just 26% shooting (7-for-27) while ODU was 43% (12-for-28.

A blistering second half saw each team score 50 points as ODU outscored the Jackets 51-50 in the final 20 minutes.

The Jackets cut the Panther lead to two at 41-39 with 14:14 remaining before a Varence jumper ended the CU run. CU and the Panthers would be tied at 45-45 with 12:12 remaining, but a three point shot from Simon gave the Panthers the lead back and another Simon three with 9:59 to play gave the Panthers a five point edge at 54-49.

Cedarville would once again cut the Panther lead to two at 64-62 with 4:41 to go and a layup from Varence and the aforementioned three from Varence with 3:02 to play cleared the Panthers path to the win.

ODU held the lead for 36:05 throughout the contest and scored 25 bench points in the win. The Panthers shot a blistering 52.7% from the floor (29-for-55) and 40% (8-for-20) from distance while holding the Jackets to 45% shooting (28-for-62) and 26.7% from behind the arc (4-for-15). ODU also shot 80% from the foul line 12-for-15 including a perfect 6-for-6 from Hickey.

Kollin Van Horn led the Jackets with 24 points while Quinton Green was the other Jacket in double figures with 15.

The Panthers advance to 5-9 overall and 2-3 in the conference while Cedarville suffers its first conference loss and falls to 7-6 overall and 4-1 in the conference.

ODU returns to action this Saturday traveling to Phillipi, West Virginia to take on Alderson Broaddus at 3 p.m.