Women's basketball defeated by No. 7 Transylvania

DEFIANCE, Ohio – Saturday afternoon saw the Defiance College women's basketball team take on nationally-ranked Transylvania University in Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference action. The Pioneers, ranked seventh in the nation, were able to defeat DC 79-50 in the conference affair.

"If you look at the final score, you would think I shouldn't be happy, but I am happy with the overall improvement that we have made," said Defiance Head Coach Allan King, Jr. when asked about the contest.

A strong start from Defiance had King's side in a close contest during the first quarter of action. Midway through the first period, a pair of Liz Martin (Bellefontaine/Bellefontaine) threes pushed the Yellow Jackets on top 10-7. The back-and-forth battle that ensued saw the visitors take a 20-16 lead after ten minutes of play.

The Transylvania offense shot their way to a 39-27 lead as the sides entered halftime. A quick three from Taylor Day (West Mansfield/North Union) out of the locker room looked to spark the Yellow Jacket offense, but ultimately the Pioneers extended the lead to pick up their 12^th HCAC win of the season.

As a team, Defiance was held to a 28.3 percent shooting mark while going 33.3 percent from beyond the arc. The Purple and Gold forced the Pioneers into ten turnovers on the day while equaling the visitors with 13 assists.

Despite 32 of Defiance's 50 points coming from the bench, Day rounded out her afternoon with a team-best 12 points and five rebounds. A Lexie Sparks (Trenton/Kings) jumper in the waning minutes of the game ensured the freshman of another double-digit performance, her tenth of the season.

Defensively, a strong afternoon from Briana Townley (Paulding/Paulding) saw the freshman finish with five defensive rebounds and a block to go along with her nine points. Josi Wolf (LaRue/Elgin) dished out two rejections of her own throughout the game.  

King continues to see the positives and improvement from the Yellow Jackets. "Ultimately, the best thing we have is that minute's column. These young kids are getting time and opportunities, and they are learning," concluded the second-year head coach.

The Yellow Jackets fall to 6-13 on the season and 5-7 in conference play. Defiance will return to action Wednesday, as they host Manchester University at 7:30 pm.