DC Loses High-Scoring Affair to Transy, 90-79

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Defiance lost a 90-79 shootout to Transylvania University on December 17, despite reaching the 70-point plateau for the third time in its last four games. The Jackets fall to 1-2 in the HCAC with the loss, while moving to 4-5 overall.

Courtney Schmersal, who leads the HCAC with 20 three-pointers this season, finished with 14 points, on four-of-five shooting from downtown. Katie McNamara scored ten of her 14 points in the second half, while also tallying three assists and two steals. Shavonda Price recorded her first collegiate double-double, dropping in 14 points to go along with her ten rebounds.

DC shot a season-best 43.7 percent from the field, including 9-of-23 shooting from beyond the arc. The Jackets won the battle of the boards, 45-42, leading to 19 second-chance points. Transylvania was 25-of-32 from the free throw line, which proved to be the difference in the game as the Jackets finished 8-of-15 at the line.

The two teams were neck and neck through the first ten minutes of the contest, as neither team led by more than four points in that span. Mandie White's tip-in at 10:51 mark tied the game at 19, before a pair of Jasi Flynn free throws jumpstarted a 29-10 run that gave the Pioneers a 48-29 lead with just over a minute left in the half. However, Defiance would close out the period with back-to-back treys by Tasha Stucke and Jenna Deskins to cut Transy's lead to 13, 48-35, heading into the break.

The Pioneers scored the first eight points of the second half to push their lead to 21, 56-35, before Price stopped the bleeding with an old fashion three-point play. A free throw by White was sandwiched by a pair of Schmersal three-pointers to help the Jackets pull within 11, 60-49, but Transylvania would use a 14-6 run to push the spread back to 19, 74-55.

DC chipped away at the Pioneers' lead over the next eight minutes, as Brooke Zachrich's layup capped off a 21-9 spurt that cut Transy's edge to seven, 83-76, with 58 ticks left in the contest. The Pioneers claimed the victory with seven-of-eight shooting from the charity stripe in the closing minute of the game, despite being held to just one field goal in the final eight minutes.

The Jackets will be back in action this Friday, December 19, when they host Mount Vernon Nazarene. Defiance will be looking to avenge a loss to the Cougars earlier this season, when it tips off at 7:30 p.m.