Early Deficit Too Much to Overcome in Season-Opening Loss

OLIVET, Mich. – The women's basketball team showed rust and resiliency in its season-opening bout at Olivet College on Tuesday evening. An early 11-point hole proved to be too much to overcome as the Jackets fell, 57-53, to the hosting Comets to begin their 2010-11 campaign.

The hole was dug in the first six minutes of the contest, when DC missed five-consecutive field goals to start the game and turned the ball over seven times before finally cracking the scoreboard at the 13:58 mark. Olivet exacerbated the Jackets' struggles by hitting each of its first four field goal attempts on its way to an early 11-0 lead.

The Comets extended their lead to as much as 17 points with 6:27 left in the first half, but the Yellow Jackets, struggling to score from the field, began to find points from the charity stripe to stay within striking distance. Freshman guard, Erica King, led the charge with 11 first-half points behind six-of-six free throw shooting to help DC trim the deficit. The Jackets ended the half on a 9-2 run to cut the lead to eight points at the break.

Defiance took the momentum from its late first-half surge and began chipping away at the lead in the second half as the shots began to fall. Olivet clung to a 43-33 lead with 10 minutes remaining, before Jenna Deskins scored four quick points that spurred a Yellow Jacket rally, capped by a three-pointer from Courtney Schmersal that gave DC its first lead of the night, a 50-48 advantage, with 4:19 left on the clock. The Comets responded however, outscoring DC by a margin of 9-2 over the last four minutes, to claim the victory in front of their home crowd.     

King ended her first collegiate game with a game-high 18 points to go along with four rebounds and one block. Kim Comden flirted with a double-double in her first collegiate start, grabbing 11 rebounds and posting eight points.

Next up for the Lady Jackets is a Friday evening matchup at Wilmington College to kick-start the Hampton Inn & Suites/Damon's Grill Tip-Off Tournament. DCs' home-opener will take place in one week, when Hope College visits Defiance for a 7:00 p.m. matchup on Tuesday night.