Steinbrunner scores career-high 26 points against Hiram

Defiance junior Taylor Steinbrunner scored a career-high 26 points in the Yellow Jackets' heartbreaking, 70-69 to Hiram in a nonconference contest.

The Basics

• Records: Defiance (9-6), Hiram (4-11)
• Location: Karl H. Weaner Center – Defiance, Ohio
• Attendance: 200

Inside The Numbers

• Steinbrunner set a new career-high with 26 points, beating the mark of 25 she set earlier this season against Mount St. Joseph. She also added seven rebounds and three assists.
• Junior Lexie Sparks added nine points off the bench and grabbed five rebounds.
• Sophomore Kylie Brinkman scored eight points, dished out five assists, and recorded three steals.
• Senior Nysha Speed contributed seven points, six rebounds, and three steals.
• Defiance finished the game shooting 28-of-73 (.384) from the floor and 6-of-18 (.333) from the three-point line.
• Cici Bright scored 20 points and recorded a double-double with a game-high 12 rebounds.
• Madison Branch had a big game off the bench for Hiram, matching Bright for the game lead with 20 points while leading all players with eight assists.
• Haley Thompson added 11 points for the Terriers.
• Hiram finished the game shooting 30-of-60 (.500) from the floor and 8-of-19 (.421) from long range.

The Difference

• The Terriers got off to a fast start, opening the game on an 8-0 run and holding the Yellow Jackets off the scoreboard for the first 4:30 of the game.
• Hiram went 8-of-14 from the field and 5-of-6 from the three-point line the first quarter to take a 21-9 lead into the second quarter.
• The Yellow Jackets backed back in the second quarter and thanks to a combined 12 points from Steinbrunner and Brinkman outscored Hiram 24-12 to tie the game going to the halftime break.
• The third quarter saw Defiance take their first lead of the game and go up by as many as eight points before Hiram was able to tie the game in the closing seconds of the quarter.
• The score remained close throughout the final quarter with Defiance taking the lead late before Branch drained a buzzer-beater to give the Terriers the victory.
• The Terriers committed 21 turnovers compared to Defiance's 11 and the Yellow Jackets were able to score 21 points off turnovers.
• Defiance outscored Hiram in the paint, 34-28.

Up Next

• The Yellow Jackets will host HCAC rival Mount St. Joseph on Wednesday, January 26 with tip-off set for 6:00 p.m.