Women’s Basketball scores a victory at Earlham

RICHMOND, Ind. - The Defiance College women's basketball team traveled to Earlham College on Saturday evening. The Yellow Jackets swept the series with the Quakers by a final score of 64-56. 

Defiance moved the ball well in the opening quarter of play and took a four-point lead over Earlham. The Yellow Jackets continued to extend their lead, but the Quakers stayed within striking distance as DC held only a two-point lead headed into the halftime break. 

The competitive matchup continued, but the Yellow Jacket offense came alive in the third as they went on an 11-7 run to close out the quarter. Earlham kept the score close throughout most of the fourth as the teams exchanged points, but the deficit was too much for the Quakers as the Yellow Jackets were able to hang out for the win.  

Defiance was lead by Kalyn Pickens, who finished with a career-high 18 points, two rebounds, two assists, and one steal. Pickens went 10 for 11 (90.9 percent) from the free-throw line and finished shooting 4 for 6 (66.7 percent) from the floor.

"Kalyn was fantastic in every aspect of the game tonight," said head coach Allan King, Jr., "She had a career-high 18 points while playing phenomenal defense." He added, "She not only took care of the basketball but used her speed and quickness while being under control to make some great plays." 

Lauren Criblez and Taylor Day each finished the night with eight points apiece. Day also recorded seven boards, three assists, two blocks, and two steals. Briana Townley put up seven points tonight while tied for a team-high seven rebounds, one block, and a steal. Freshman Cait Good went 3 for 4 from the field, tallying seven points and three assists. 

As a team, Defiance shot a season-best 56.8 percent (25 of 44) from the field, compared to Earlham, who shot 38.9 percent (21-54) on the night. From the free-throw line, the Yellow Jackets went 11 for 15 (73.3 percent) and finished with a 32-24 edge in rebounds. Defiance tallied a season-best 14 assists, and every Yellow Jacket that saw the floor had points on the board. 

"We shared the ball really well today," said King, "and I was proud of our girls and how they handled the press."  "When it came down to crunch time, they were trying to put the press on, and we were able to break it and get some easy scores, and that was a big difference in the game." 

The victory moves the Defiance record to 2-6 overall on the season. The Purple and Gold are scheduled to travel to Cincinnati, Ohio, on Friday, February 19, to battle the Mount St. Joseph Lions. Tip-off is slated for 5:30 pm.