The gap would eventually stretch to a 16-8 deficit with 14:13 to play in the half, but 10 unanswered Jacket points put DC ahead by two at the 10-minute mark. The next three minutes saw both team frantically trade baskets, with three ties and one lead change over that period. When the dust cleared, Transy held a slim 24-22 advantage with 7:48 to play.
At this point, Transy took advantage of missed scoring chances by DC to close the half on a 17-8 run. DC had difficultly getting shots to fall over this period, shooting 4-of-14.
DC was able to trim the Pioneer lead at the beginning of the second half, scoring the first three points to make it 35-41. However, the shooting woes continued for the Lady Jackets, with DC sinking only 30% of its shots from the field. Transy maintained a double-digit lead throughout most of the second half. Although DC held the Pioneers scoreless for the final two minutes, the 14-point hole proved to be too much for DC to overcome.
Mandy White gave a compelling performance to make her case for HCAC Freshman of the Year, finishing with 18 points and 12 rebounds for her sixth double-double of the year.
Kayla Mengerink pitched in with nine points and three rebounds. Sarah Grime added eight points and three boards.
Defiance finishes the regular season with a record of 14-11 and 7-9 in the HCAC. Those 14 wins are an eight-game improvement from last season, which is the second-best turnaround in the conference this year.
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