WOOSTER, Ohio – The Geneva men's basketball team played for the second consecutive day at the Wooster Kiwanis Classic Tuesday afternoon, dropping their contest with Hanover College 80-68. After a rough start offensively, the Golden Tornadoes righted the ship, but they were never able to retake the lead after going down early. The men sport a 5-6 overall record coming out of the holiday tournament

As was the case on Day One, Geneva started slow, with the Panthers scoring the first 14 points of the game. Finally, freshman Tayt Lucas ended the Hanover run by knocking down a three-pointer, and after another Panther bucket he added two more to make the score 16-9.

Hanover scored the next two baskets, including a three-pointer of their own, but the men responded well, outscoring the Indiana school 15-5 over the next five minutes. While four Golden Tornadoes contributed points during the run, senior Jonathan Bertovich was the highlight, sinking a three-point shot and converting two more three-point plays to pull Geneva within two, 26-24. One minute later, sophomore Tommy Coletti sank a trey to cut the deficit to one, but that was the closest the men got before the halftime whistle as Hanover staved them off to take a 41-34 lead into the break.

Neither team could score through the first two minutes of the second half, with a Panther jump shot at the 18:07 mark the first points of the frame for either side. A three-pointer by senior Trey Barker sandwiched by two other triples from senior Nick Million made the score 49-43 with 16:04 to play, but that was the closest Geneva would get for the remainder of the game.

A 13-2 Hanover run immediately afterward put a stop to any momentum Geneva may have had. The men fought to stay in the game, scoring eight straight points thanks to Bertovich and Barker triples to briefly bring the deficit down to single digits, but the Panthers immediately pushed their advantage back to 14 points via two quick baskets, and they kept the GTs at bay the rest of the way to secure the victory.

As on the first day of the Classic, Geneva struggled to shoot the ball well in close, finishing just 25-of-67 (37.3%) from the field despite shooting 14-for-27 (51.9%) from behind the arc. On the flip side, Hanover hit 32-of-64 (50%) shots on the day, with their win highlighted by a 27-point, 23-rebound performance from Malachi McNair.

Bertovich was the top player all-around for Geneva, recording 20 points, five rebounds, and four assists while shooting 4-for-7 from three-point land. Barker and sophomore Austin Matthews finished with 11 points and four rebounds apiece, while Million registered eight points and five boards to wrap up a solid two-game stretch. He was named to the Wooster Kiwanis Classic All-Tournament Team for his performance over the two days.

"Really disappointed by our defensive play this weekend," commented head coach Jeff Santarsiero afterward. "We have to do a better job on the defensive end if we want to have the season we are capable of having. It's time now to refocus and get ready for Hiram."

The GTs are off for the next week, with their next competition coming on Wednesday, January 7^th when they host the Hiram Terriers in a Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) matchup. Tip-off for that game is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

Through purposeful learning in a community reflecting the full spectrum of God's kingdom, a Geneva College experience inspires students to discover a faith-life calling in service to God and neighbor. Offering 195+ traditional undergraduate majors and programs, fully online Adult Degree Programs and high-demand graduate degrees, Geneva's programs are recognized for their high quality and affordability. Geneva was founded and is governed by the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America (RPCNA) and is a founding member of both the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) and the International Association for Christian Education (IACE).