Harshman Powers Lady Jackets to Victory Over Engineers

DEFIANCE, Ohio – Sophomore forward Hannah Harshman picked up her second 20-plus point game of the season to lead the Defiance College women's basketball team to a 66-54 victory over Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference rival Rose-Hulman. DC moves to 1-1 in the league with the victory. [Video Highlights]

Harshman was instrumental in breaking open the game for the Yellow Jackets as the two teams played even for the first 12 minutes of the game. With 7:00 left in the half, DC and Rose-Hulman were tied at 12 apiece. Harshman then took over the game, scoring on four of the next five possessions, building a Jackets lead to 22-16 at the 4:11 mark. Harshman hit a layup with 6:42 left in the half, and then connected on back-to-back three-point plays. Another layup two possessions later gave DC a six-point advantage (22-16). 

The Yellow Jackets kept the pressure on Rose-Hulman in the first half. A 9-2 run over the final three and a half minutes of the opening frame took the Jackets into the locker rooms with a 31-20 lead. Harshman, who finished the first half with 14 points, added a layup during the run. Senior Brooke Zachrich connected on two free throws, and freshman Jessie Arnold hit a long jumper and two foul shots. 

The second half was more of the same from Defiance, as the Yellow Jackets enjoyed no less than an eight-point lead for the entire period. The Purple and Gold led by as many as 16 (66-60) after two free throws by freshman Megan Zachrich at the 1:25 mark. DC saw even production across the floor as junior Kim Comden scored eight points in the second half. Harshman added another seven points in the frame, while junior Emma Starks posted five points in the second period of play.

Harshman ended the game with 21 points, six rebounds and one assist. She shot 8-of-11 from the field and went five-of-six from the charity stripe. Comden poured in 12 points and four rebounds. Arnold ended the contest with nine points.

A strong defensive effort from Defiance forced the Fightin' Engineers into 26 turnovers. The Lady Jackets had 15 steals, including a game-high four steals from junior Rachel Ciminillo. 

With the win, the Yellow Jackets improve to 2-4 overall and 1-1 in conference action. Rose-Hulman, who was led by Alisa Dickerson's 21 points and 12 rebounds, drops to 0-4 on the year and 0-1 in the league.

Defiance will return to the court on Saturday, December 10th against HCAC opponent Hanover. Tip-off is scheduled for 1:00 pm in Hanover, Ind.