White's Double-Double Leads DC Past Marygrove 80-57

DEFIANCE, Ohio –Defiance used a 15-4 run in the second half to blow open its game against Marygrove College, advancing to the finals of the Hubbard Co./PRO REHAB Women’s Collegiate Basketball Tournament with an 80-57 victory.

The Jackets opened the game on an 11-0 run, forcing five turnovers in the first four minutes of the contest. Marygrove would not let DC run away with the game, however, coming back to tie the game at 23 all with just under six minutes to play in the opening stanza.

Mandy White would push Defiance back out in front, scoring the last five points of the half to send the Jackets into the locker room with a 38-30 advantage. White was near perfect from the charity stripe, shooting eight-of-nine, while scoring 16 first half points.

DC used great shooting in the second half to keep the Lady Mustangs at bay, connecting on 43.6 percent of its shots from the field. Megan Crouch’s three-pointer with 12:26 remaining in the game, jump started an 8-0 that kept the Jackets up by more than ten for the remainder of the contest.

DC moved to 3-1 at the Karl H. Weaner Center, setting season-highs in several statistical categories. Defiance reached the 80-point plateau for the first time this season, while dishing out a season-best 21 assists. The Jackets spent all night cleaning up the glass, tallying a season-high 61 rebounds with 25 coming on the offensive end.

White led all scorers with a season-high 22 points, pulling down 11 rebounds and recording four steals. Sarah Grime was the only other Lady Jacket to reach double figures, finishing with 10 points as DC’s balanced scoring attack saw 12 players find the scoring column. Amber Bailey continued to pile up rebounds, pulling down eight on the night to give her 31 over the past three games. Sarah Bird moved into ninth place on Defiance’s career three-point field goal list as her three trifectas gave her 82 over the course of her career with the Jackets.

Defiance (3-3) will move on to face the Lady Buffaloes of Milligan College tournament crown on Saturday, December 15 at 3:00 p.m. Marian College and Marygrove College will meet up in the consolation match with tip-off scheduled for 1:00 p.m.