Rose-Hulman Snaps DC's Winning Streak

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Defiance had its two-game winning streak stopped, falling to Rose-Hulman 75-65 on Saturday, February 9. The Jackets fall to 3-9 in the HCAC, dropping to 1-8 on the road this season.

Rose-Hulman opened the game on a tear, grabbing an early 9-2 advantage in the first three and a half minutes of the game. However, DC responded with a 9-2 run of their own as Tasha Stucke’s layup tied the game at 11 with 13:52 remaining in the first half.

Trailing 29-25 with 3:54 left in the opening period, the Jackets would close out the half with a 10-2 spurt. Defiance scored on four consecutive possessions to grab a 34-29 lead before Mandy White rounded out the scoring in the half for DC with a free throw to put the Jackets up 35-29. The Engineers responded

with a score out of transition as Shayna Banet’s shot at the buzzer fell in to cut Defiance’s lead at the break to four, 35-31.

DC followed its seasonal trend of coming out of the locker room hot as the Jackets grabbed their biggest lead of the game when Holly Stein’s two free throws put them up by nine, 46-37. Rose-Hulman was not ready to give up as the Lady Engineers chipped away at Defiance’s lead over the next seven minutes of the contest. Jill Floyd’s three-pointer at the 6:55 mark gave Rose-Hulman its first lead since the late in the first half.

Two free throws by Brittany Moline put the Engineers up 60-57, but Tasha Stucke would respond with three of her career-high 16 points to tie the game back up at 60 apiece. The Jackets went up 64-62 with 3:30 left in the game behind Sarah Bird’s four straight points, but Rose-Hulman would answer with a Candace Procter’s three-point play to go up 65-64. Stucke went one-of-two from the line to even up the score at 65, but Rose would close out the game on a 10-0 run to pull out the victory.

Defiance was outrebounded 41-23 on the game, while being outscored by Rose-Hulman’s bench 22-9. The Jackets’ defensive pressure kept them in the game, forcing 26 turnovers and recording 18 steals. DC finished the game shooting 38 percent from the field and 71.9 percent from the charity stripe.

Four Lady Jackets reached double-figures in scoring for the game, as those four combined for 52 of DC’s 65 points. Bird finished the game with 15 points, knocking down three shots from beyond the arc. Amber Bailey scored all ten of her points in the first half, while also recording five steals on the game. Stein was the other DC player to reach double-figures, scoring 12 points and shooting 6-of-6 from the line.

Defiance (8-12) returns to the Karl H. Weaner Center to face HCAC foe Manchester College on Wednesday, February 13. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.