Tietje Scores Career-Tying High in Win Against Earlham (Ind.)

DEFIANCE, OHIO – Junior Kelsey Tietje (Deshler/Patrick Henry) scored a career-tying high 37 points in a Defiance College women's basketball win against Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference opponent Earlham (Ind.) College, 81-70, at the Karl H. Weaner Center.

Tietje led the Yellow Jacket offense with 37 points (15-of-19 shooting) and grabbed 19 rebounds to notch her 12th double-double of the season. Freshman Sam Ervin (Bloomdale/Elmwood) was the only other Yellow Jacket to score in double digits with 10 points (five-of-14 shooting).

Defiance (6-14, 5-8 HCAC) began the game with an early 9-0 run against Earlham (4-16, 2-11 HCAC) that ran two minutes off the clock. The Quakers turned around and went on a 14-4 run of their own that lasted until the 4:33 minute mark and brought the Quakers to within one point, 15-14. The teams then traded baskets and Defiance ended the quarter on a mini 6-2 run that included jumpers from Tietje and junior Keri Conine (Ottawa/Pandora-Gilboa) to finish ahead of the Quakers, 24-18, after the first ten minutes of play.

Tietje scored first in the second quarter with a jumper in the paint at the 9:33 minute mark to extend the Yellow Jacket lead to 26-18. The Quakers slowly chipped away at the lead and after a 14-5 run that took five minutes off the clock, tied up the score, 31-31, for the first time since the opening tip. The Quakers tied the score on three more occasions with the final time coming at the 4:02 minute mark and a score of 37-37. The Yellow Jackets then outscored the Quakers, 8-2, in the final minutes to head into the locker rooms ahead, 45-39.

Defiance began the third quarter with a three-point play from Tietje just 15 seconds in, making the score 48-39. The Yellow Jackets saw their first double-digit lead at the 6:50 minute mark after outscoring the Quakers, 6-4, that included back-to-back three-pointers from juniors Erica Smay (Defiance/Tinora) and Ashley Williams (Leipsic/Pandora-Gilboa), 54-43. The Yellow Jackets extended their lead to 18 points, 65-47, after an 11-4 run that ended at the 2:17 mark. The Quakers looked to gain momentum, however, and outscored the Jackets, 7-3, to pull to within 14 points, 68-54, to end the quarter.

The fourth period began with the Yellow Jackets outscoring the Quakers 10-9 to extend their lead to 78-63. The Quakers answered with five unanswered points before Tietje connected on another three-point play to bring the score to 81-68 with just under two minutes left in regulation. The Quakers scored the final point of the game at the 1:36 minute mark, but the final score fell in favor of the Yellow Jackets, 81-70.

The Yellow Jackets will look to continue their winning ways when they host Franklin (Ind.) College in HCAC play. The game will be a part of a basketball doubleheader with the Yellow Jacket men's team. The women's game will begin at 2 p.m., followed by the men at 4 p.m.