DC Puts Up Huge Second Half For HCAC Win

DEFIANCE, Ohio – Defiance College scores 43 points in the second half, outscoring Anderson by 17 in the second 20 minutes and taking a 61-52 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference victory.

DC (4-8, 3-2 HCAC) keeps pace in the HCAC with the win.  The Yellow Jackets are tied for fourth place with three other teams.

Megan Zachrich (Napoleon, Ohio/Napoleon) got things started for the Yellow Jackets with a layup.  Whitney Schalk (Bellevue, Ohio/Bellevue) found Zachrich on DC's first possession to take the 2-0 lead.  Anderson (1-11, 0-5 HCAC) would then go on a 7-0 run, taking the five point lead just three minutes into the game.  Mekai White (Cincinnati, Ohio/Winton Woods) drained a three-point shot at the 14 minute mark to keep things close early.  The Ravens still led at that point 9-6.  DC didn't find another field goal until three minutes later when Kelsey Tietje (Deshler, Ohio/Patrick Henry) made a move in the paint and dropped in the bucket.  The shooting woes continued in the first half for the Yellow Jackets, as their next bucket came from Brittany Osborne (Union City, Ind./Union City) four minutes later.  The defense kept DC in the game though, as Anderson led by just five.  Tietje and Zachrich combined for four free throw makes to put the game at 26-15 with just 90 seconds remaining in the first half.  Erica Smay (Defiance, Ohio/Tinora) then found a huge trey to end the first half, cutting the lead to 26-18 heading into intermission.

Zachrich and Tietje scored five and four, respectively, to lead the Yellow Jackets in scoring the first half.  Tietje added 11 rebounds in the first 20 minutes.

The Yellow Jackets came out with fire in the second half.  Zachrich again got things started to begin the half.  This time she found a jumper from a pass by Ashley Williams (Leipsic, Ohio/Pandora-Gilboa).  Tietje and White would then go on a 16 point scoring streak between the two of them.  Tietje made four field goals and three free throws to total 11 points in a seven minute span.  White added a two point field goal and a three point field goal for five points in a three minute span.  The duo's run cut Anderson's lead to 41-38 with 12 minutes left to play.  Tietje's last field goal at the 12 minute mark was the first basket in a 13-point DC run.  Osborne and Schalk continued the run with a pair of free throws each.  Osborne then got a steal and took it coast to coast for a fast break lay in.  Keri Conine (Ottawa, Ohio/Pandora-Gilboa) then cashed in on a jumper set up by Osborne.  Conine would then pay it forward, finding Williams open for a shot downtown to cap off the 13-point run.  DC led 49-41 with seven minutes remaining in regulation.  After a Ravens basket, Williams drained another bucket from three-point land, giving the Yellow Jackets their biggest lead of the night.  DC held the 52-43 lead with 6:31 left to play. DC would put the game on ice from the free throw line, holding onto the nine point lead and winning 61-52.

Tietje scored 21 points and pulled down 17 boards for her ninth double-double of the season.  She also added four blocks to her big night.

Zachrich added nine points for the Yellow Jackets and White chipped in eight more.

Smay added seven rebounds for DC in the win.

Schalk led the Yellow Jackets in assists and steals with three in each category.

Williams and Conine also had three steals each.

The Yellow Jackets will take a trip to Rose-Hulman on Saturday, for a matchup of 3-2 teams.  The teams will tip things off at 1 pm with the men's game to follow.