Jackets Unable to Keep Pace with No. 4 Hope

DEFIANCE, Ohio – Fourth ranked Hope College jumped out to an early 30-9 advantage in the first 11 minutes of the contest on its way to a 93-70 victory over Defiance College on Wednesday, November 21.

After spotting the Flying Dutch an early 21-point lead, DC turned up the intensity and climbed back into the game. Molly Bateman hit an open Holly Stein who knocked down a trifecta to cap off a 12-2 run by the Lady Jacket to narrow the deficit to 12 points. Hope pushed the lead back to 15 as Defiance went into the locker room trailing 48-33.

Senior Sarah Bird took over to start the second period, scoring six unanswered points to pull the Jackets within nine 48-39.

The Flying Dutch would once again answer DC’s spurt, putting the game away with a 15-3 run to take a commanding 63-42 lead. The two teams would trade baskets the rest of the way as Defiance would go on to lose its first game of the season.

Elisa Hickman ripped the net for ten points in the last three minutes of the game, finishing the contest with a career-high 13 points. Stein had another good all-around game, tallying 12 points, four rebounds and two assists. Bird had a career-high five steals to go along with her nine points, while Bateman had a game-high five assists.

For the second straight game Defiance was able to get to the charity stripe, connecting on 29 of its 45 attempts while limiting Hope to 23 attempts. DC knocked down 42 percent of its shots from beyond the arc on 5-of-12 shooting. Although Hope’s ability to score in transition hurt DC, Coach Doumanian’s squad was still able to force 27 turnovers. The Flying Dutch dominated down low, scoring 38 points in the paint and using 27 offensive rebounds to help score 24 second chance points.

Defiance (1-1) will open up its conference schedule, traveling to HCAC foe Anderson University on Saturday, December 1. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.