Yellow Jackets Win First Game of the Season

DEFIANCE, OHIO – The Defiance College women's basketball team had three players score in double digits in their win against Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference rival Manchester (Ind.) University, 68-47.

Freshman forward Sam Ervin (Bloomdale/Elmwood) led the Yellow Jacket offense with a game-high 14 points on seven-of-nine shooting from the field (77.7 percent).  Junior center Kelsey Tietje (Deshler/Patrick Henry) added 13 points (five-of-eight shooting) and grabbed 11 rebounds for her second double-double of the season.  Junior forward Keri Conine (Ottawa/Pandora-Gilboa) rounded out the double-digit scorers with 11 points (five-of-11 shooting).

Defiance (1-4, 1-0 HCAC) started the game with an easy bucket from Ervin to take the early 2-0 lead against Manchester (1-3, 0-1 HCAC). After a Spartan bucket to tie it at 2-2, Defiance only gave up the lead once at the 8:14 minute mark, 5-4.  The Yellow Jackets then went on a 7-0 run that included buckets from sophomore Whitney Schalk (Bellevue), Conine and freshman Shelby Stamm (Bellevue) to take the lead, 11-5.  In the next possession, Stamm sunk a three-pointer which sparked a 10-3 run to make the score 21-10 with just over three minutes to play in the first quarter.  Defiance led by as many as 12 points at the 1:11 minute mark, but a late basket from the Spartans cut the lead to 10 points to make the score 24-14 at the end of the first quarter.

The Spartans scored the first bucket in the second quarter to get within eight points, 24-16, which ended up being the closest they got to the Yellow Jackets the rest of the game.  Defiance took control of the quarter and lead by as many as 21 points, 42-21, with just over a minute to play in the half.  A late basket from the Spartans took the score to 42-23 going into the locker rooms.

In the second half, the Yellow Jackets kept building their lead and led by as many as 32 points after a jumper from Ervin to make the score 60-28 with just under three minutes left to play in the third period.  After two made shots from the Spartans, sophomore Brittany Osborne (Union City, Ind. /Union City) bumped the lead back up to 31 points, 62-31, to end the third quarter scoring.

During the fourth quarter, Defiance led by as many as 32 points on three separate occasions, before the Spartans started to rally with a 11-0 run making the score, 68-47, with 1:38 left to play.  Despite efforts from both teams, no points were scored in the final minutes, to finalize the score, 68-47 in favor of the Yellow Jackets.

The Yellow Jackets will look to continue their winning ways, when they travel to Franklin, Ind. on Saturday, Dec. 5 to face Franklin (Ind.) College in a HCAC matchup. The game will be part of a basketball doubleheader with the Yellow Jacket men's team.  The women's game is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m., followed by the men at 4 p.m.