Lady Jackets still in playoff hunt with win
Nick Williams, Assistant SID

Defiance vs. Mount St. Joseph Box Score

CINCINNATI, Ohio – With a 65-56 win over Mount St. Joseph Saturday afternoon, the Defiance College Women’s Basketball team still remains in the running for the final playoff seed for the HCAC Tournament.

The first half of play was controlled by the Lady Jackets, who never trailed in the period. The team was able to keep the Lions at bay with proficient long-distance shooting and perimeter defense.

DC held Mount without a three-pointer for the first half and forced the Lions to shoot only 30% in the period. Coupled with a 46.7% clip from the field, the end result was a 34-27 halftime lead.
The beginning of the second half of play saw the two teams trading baskets for much of the start, with DC’s advantage fluctuating between five and seven points for a five-minute stretch.

At the 14-minute mark, the Lions were able to get in gear and shift the momentum of the game, with a six-minute 8-0 run to take a 41-40 lead, their first of the game. Although a Mandy White layup gave DC a one-point edge, Mount hit a three to make it 44-42 with seven to play.

Both teams battled back and forth over the three minutes, with the game seeing one lead change and three ties. When the smoke cleared, DC emerged on top, as Katie McNamara hit a three-pointer with 4:52 left to give the Jackets a 53-50 lead.

From that point on, the DC advantage would never drop below three en route to the nine point victory.

Mollie Patterson registered her first double-double as a Yellow Jacket with 10 points and 10 rebounds. White led DC with 15 points, while Sarah Bird finished with 11 points, six boards, and four assists.

Defiance (13-9, 6-7 HCAC) currently remains 2 ½ games out of the final tournament seed with four games remaining. The Lady Jackets will look to extend their three-game winning streak against Rose-Hulman next Saturday at 1:00 p.m.