Lady Jackets just miss out on third conference win
Nick Williams, Assistant SID

DEFIANCE, Ohio - The DC Lady Jackets let a close game slip out of their hands as they fell to Manchester College by the score 54-59 Wednesday evening.

The Jackets fell behind early, as the Spartans took a 10-5 advantage four minutes into the game. DC would quickly erase that lead, with the score 14-12 Jackets at the 11:47 mark. At this point, Defiance would begin to manage the offense, breaking the pressure of the Manchester full court press. The Jackets would maintain the lead going into the half and led by ten with only a minute left to play in the half. However, two Spartan three-pointers would cut that lead to only four by the end of the period, giving DC a 32-28 advantage.

With the momentum somewhat in Manchester’s favor, the beginning of the second half saw the Jacket lead fluctuate between two and six during the first three minutes of the half. The Spartans would eventually cut the deficit to only one, then regain lead at 41-40 with 12 minutes to play. A Meghann Savard layup would eventually tie the game at 49 with under five minutes left. Trailing by only two with 1:43 left, the Jackets needed a stop to regain possession. Although DC made Manchester to use most of the shot clock and forced a contested jumper from the top of the key, the made basket would put the dagger in the heart of Defiance, as it became a two-possession game with under a minute to play. After a Kara Jones three-pointer gave Defiance a glimmer of hope, two Spartan free throws would eventually seal the game.

Sarah Grime continues to make the most of her opportunity to start, this time scoring in double-digits for the sixth consecutive game with 15 points and eight rebounds. Savard added 14 points, five boards, and three assists, while Jones contributed 13 points, three assists, and two steals. Manchester’s Stacey Wendel led all scorers with 30.

Defiance (5-15, 2-7 HCAC) hits the road to take on the College of Mount St. Joseph on Saturday afternoon at 3:00 p.m. Manchester (14-6, 6-3 HCAC) hosts Hanover Saturday at 1:00 p.m.