Lady Jackets go down against 11th team in the nation
Nick Williams, Assistant SID

BOURBONNAIS, Ill. - The struggles for the Defiance College Lady Jacket Basketball Team continue, this time in the first game of the Olivet Nazarene Tournament, as the Jackets fall on Friday evening to Wheaton College (Ill.) by the score 66-50.

Wheaton, ranked 11th in the nation by D3hoops.com, began the game with a three-point basket 13 seconds into the game and never trailed from that point on. Meghann Savard countered on the next possession with a layup of her own, but that one-point deficit would be the closest that the Jackets would come in the game. Over the span of the next seven minutes, Wheaton would eventually take a 15-point that Defiance could not cut closer than 11 by the end of the half.

In the second half, the Jackets could not mount a comeback like the previous game. Though the team shot nearly 50 percent from the field and was outscored only by three in the half, the 15-point hole was too much for DC to overcome. A twelve-point gap amounted to be the closest the Jackets would get.

Turnovers proved to be the downfall of the Jackets in this game, as the Lady Jackets committed a season-high 31 turnovers, which translated into 30 Thunder points. However, the Jacket shooting, which has been an Achilles’ heel for the team thus far this season, proved to be a bright spot in this game. Defiance shot 45.9 percent (17-37) in the game, marking the second highest field goal percentage thus far this season. The Jackets also outrebounded Wheaton 41-34, setting a new season-high.

Savard led all scorers with her second consecutive 23-point effort, to go along with three rebounds and an assist. Sarah Bird had another solid all-around performance, notching seven points, ten rebounds, and a team-high six assists. Sarah Grime contributed ten points and four boards off the bench.

Defiance plays in the consolation game tomorrow in the Olivet Nazarene Tournament at 2:00 p.m.