White Scores 21 Points, DC Falls to Anderson

DEFIANCE, Ohio – Defiance struggled from the field, while Anderson University used 54-percent shooting for the game to come away with an 84-64 victory on Saturday, January 19. DC falls to 2-5 in HCAC play with the loss.

Trailing 12-5, four minutes into the game, the Jackets would pull within two (12-10) with a 5-0 run as Sarah Grime converted a traditional three-point play and Sarah Bird connected on two free throws. The two teams traded buckets for the next eight minutes of the half before Courtney Schmersal’s trey knotted the game at 22. Reigning HCAC Player of the Week, Kayla Martin, scored the game’s next five points as Anderson grabbed a 27-22 advantage. Martin, who scored 19 of her game-high 29 points in the first half, would drop in two more buckets to help the Ravens maintain their lead and go into the break with a 37-32 lead.

As they have done all season, the Jackets started the second half red hot. DC would go on an 11-2 run over the opening five minutes of the final period to take a 43-39 lead on Kim Zura’s fast-break layup. However, a 7-0 run by Anderson put the Ravens back on top, 46-43. Mandy White would end DC’s scoring drought with two free throws to pull Defiance within one, 46-45. A jumper by Grime and two free throws by Bird kept the Jackets within one, but another 7-0 spurt by the Ravens would give Anderson its largest lead of the game 57-49.

Anderson would put the game on ice from the charity stripe, knocking down 15-of-16 over the last seven minutes of the game. Both teams were lights out from the line for the game as DC finished 23-for-29, while the Ravens missed just three free throws all game on 26-of-29 shooting.

Despite great free throw shooting by both teams, the key stat came on points off turnovers. Anderson scored 28 points off of DC’s turnovers, while Defiance managed only eight off the Raven’s mishaps. The Jackets were held to their lowest rebounding output of the season, pulling down only 29 on the game with 10 coming on the offensive end.

White led DC with 21 points and eight rebounds, converting 13 of her 15 free throw attempts. Bird tallied nine points on 6-of-6 shooting from the line. The senior guard is shooting 96 percent (26-of-27) from the charity stripe over her last four games. Grime added eight points and six boards for DC, while Schmersal contributed seven points off the bench.

Defiance (6-8) returns to action on Wednesday, January 23 when it travels to North Manchester, Ind. to face HCAC leader Manchester College. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.