LEXINGTON, KY. – Buoyed by another balanced offensive attack, Manchester University produced a big Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference road win Saturday, Dec. 8.

The Spartans (4-5 overall, 1-2 HCAC) put three-or-more players in double figures for an eighth straight game en route to a 59-57 victory over preseason league favorite Transylvania.

MU worked through a back-and-forth contest that saw 19 lead changes inside Beck Athletic and Recreation Center. Sophomore forward Jon Thompson (Rushville, Ind.) gave the Black and Gold the lead for good with a three-point basket with 1:52 to go. The Pioneers (4-3, 2-1 HCAC) had five looks at the basket down the stretch but couldn't hit, while sophomore guard Greg Flores (Hammond, Ind.) made one-of-two free throw attempts with five seconds left to make it 59-57. Transylvania had one more offensive opportunity to tie or win but their shot attempt fell off to clinch the Spartans' victory.

"I was very pleased with our defensive effort, especially in the last minute and a half," Coach Brad Nadborne said. "We kept telling them when we went into timeouts 'one more stop, just one more stop.' We opened the game with solid defense, too, limiting them to 20 points in the first half.

"Our offense finally started clicking in the second half," he added. "We hit nine-of-12 three-point baskets and needed them all. Transylvania is a very strong team and kept coming at us."

Flores, registering his eighth-straight double-figure scoring game, and sophomore forwards Grant Newlin (Muncie, Ind.) and Silas Sims (Hope, Ind.) each tallied 12 points for Coach Brad Nadborne's team. Newlin also dished out a team-high six assists and grabbed two steals as did Sims. Sophomore guard Caleb Jackson (New Castle, Ind.) was in double figures with 11 points, too. He and Flores each hit three three-point buckets.

Manchester continues its 2012-13 HCAC schedule with a 3 p.m. tip-off inside Stauffer-Wolfe Arena against Mt. St. Joseph Saturday, Dec. 15.

NOTES – Saturday's victory snapped a four-game skid for the Spartans. … The freshman tandem of guard Brady Dolezal (Tipton, Ind.) and Jarod Schrock (Logansport, Ind.) played an important role as well. They each grabbed five rebounds for Manchester. … MU's win put the Black and Gold into a tie with Anderson and Defiance on the conference standings, just one behind a three-way tie for third and two back of a first-place knot between unbeatens Rose-Hulman and MSJ.