White and Bird Earn All-Tournament Honors

DEFIANCE, Ohio –Defiance teammates Sarah Bird and Mandy White each garnered Hubbard Co./PRO REHAB All-Tournament honors in this weekend’s tournament at the Karl H. Weaner Center. After defeating Marygrove in the opening round the Jackets dropped Saturday’s championship game to Milligan College 108-80 to fall to 3-4 on the season.

For the second straight game DC reached the 80-point plateau, but it was not enough as Milligan shot over 60 percent on the game to take home the game and the championship.

Trailing 6-3 only two minutes into the game, Defiance converted four Buffalo turnovers into points to spark a 14-2 run that would put the Jackets up 17-8 just a minute and half later.

Milligan would answer with an impressive scoring outburst over the rest of the half to go into the break with a 17-point lead, 55-38.

The track meet continued in the second half as the two teams combined for 95 points during the period. Bird led the charge for the Jackets pouring in 12 of her team-high 20 points in the half, including two trifectas.

Elisa Hickman provided a scoring spark for DC off the bench, dialing up three treys and scoring 11 points in only 11 minutes of action. White reached double-figures in scoring for the fifth time this season, dropping in 10 points for the Jackets. Freshman Tasha Stucke had a great game at point for Coach Doumanian, dishing out a career-high eight assists and pulling down five rebounds.

Milligan’s Rikki Baughman was named tournament MVP after a 27-point, eight rebound and seven assist performance in the championship game. Bird and White were joined on the Hubbard Co./PRO REHAB All-Tournament team by the Buffaloes’ Heather Mandela and Brittany Kilgore , while Marian’s Ashley Mueller and Marygrove’s Jacquis Bullock earned mention as well.

Defiance (3-3) returns to action on Monday, December 17, when they host Wilberforce University in non-league action. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.