Jackets' Comeback Bid Falls Short in Loss to Bluffton

DEFIANCE, Ohio – Defiance College was able to come back from a large first-half deficit, but saw its rally fall short in a 79-74 loss to rival Bluffton University on Wednesday, January 21. The Jackets fall to 6-11 overall on the season, while dropping to 2-7 in HCAC play.

DC scored on six of its first nine possessions, as Mandie White's two free throws gave Defiance a 12-9 advantage with 15:20 left in the opening period. However, the Jackets would not lead again as a bucket by Emily Shellabarger jumpstarted Bluffton's 28-10 spurt that gave the Beavers their largest lead of the contest, 39-22. Defiance closed out the final two minutes with seven straight points, as Amber Bailey scored off a feed from Brooke Zachrich to pull DC within ten at the break, 39-29.

The Jackets came roaring back in the second half, drawing within two, 49-47, on a jumper by Bailey with 13:18 left in the contest. The Beavers scored the next two buckets of the game to push the lead back to four, but Shavonda Price would cap off an 8-2 run with two of her 14 second-half points to help DC pull even, 55-55. Bluffton would once again answer the Defiance run, scoring the next eight points of the ballgame to take a 63-55 advantage with just over six minutes remaining in the contest.

The Jackets caught fire from downtown over the next five minutes, connecting on four shots from beyond the arc during that span.  Molly Bateman and Tasha Stucke brought the home crowd to their feet with back-to-back trifectas, completing a 19-11 run that tied the game, 74-74. However, Bluffton would go on to score the final five points of the game to pull out the victory.

Bluffton shot a red-hot 57.7 percent from the field, while DC connected on 40 percent of its field goals. Bateman led the Jackets with three treys, as Defiance got seven of its eight three-pointers in the second half. DC was able to force 27 turnovers in the game, turning those mishaps into 20 points.

Defiance put four players in double-figures for the second consecutive game, as Price connected on eight-of-ten from the field to lead all scorers with a career-high 20 points. White finished with a dozen points and four rebounds, while Bateman and Courtney Schmersal each added 10 points. Katie Carunchia dropped in eight points and six boards, while Stucke and Zachrich each dished out five assists in the contest.

Defiance will be back in action this Saturday, January 24, when it hosts Hanover College. The women will open up the HCAC doubleheader at 1:00 p.m. with the men's game scheduled to begin at 3:00 p.m. The Jackets hit a HCAC record-tying 14 three-pointers in the last meeting between the two schools, as DC recorded a 90-84 victory.