Yellow Jackets Beaten By #23 Ohio Northern

ADA, OHIO -- The Defiance College Yellow Jackets played 23rd-ranked Ohio Northern University tough for three quarters before ultimately falling, 82-58, in a non-conference matchup in Ada, Ohio.

Defiance (1-2) was led by another double-double performance from senior Kelsey Tietje (Deshler/Patrick Henry), who put up 23 points on nine-of-15 shooting and also grabbed 12 rebounds. The defending HCAC Player of the Week garnered her third double-double in as many games for the Yellow Jackets.

Junior Mekai White (Cincinnati/Winton Woods) was next in the scoring column with nine points on three-of-eight shooting from beyond the arc, while senior Ashley Williams (Leipsic/Pandora-Gilboa) and junior Brittany Osborne (Union City, Ind.) added eight points apiece.

Ohio Northern (3-0) shot the ball well throughout the contesst, going 33-of-71 (46.5 percent) from the floor and seven-of-15 (46.7 percent) from beyond the arc. Defiance, however, shot just 21-of-64 (32.8 percent) from the floor and six-of-22 (27.3 percent) from deep. ONU also won the battle of the boards, 31-25, while also committing three less turnovers than Defiance, 18-15.

The Polar Bears jumped out to a fast start after a quick triple from senior Erica Smay (Defiance/Tinora) that gave DC an early 3-2 lead. From that point forward, the Polar Bears added eight consecutive points and got the spurt to 17-5 to take over the lead, 19-8, at the 6:33 mark of the first quarter. Ohio Northern extended the lead to 26-13 before a pair of freebies by Osborne and a three by White, cut the lead to eight points before a layup to end the quarter put ONU ahead, 28-18.

Ohio Northern poured it on to begin the second quarter, taking a 41-25 lead with 4:32 to play in the half. Defiance added a bucket by Tietje and a pair of free throws by Osborne to get the deficit to 12 points. The two teams traded baskets the rest of the way and the half ended with the Polar Bears leading, 45-32, at the break.

Defiance put a scare to the Polar Bears by starting the third stanza on an 8-0 scoring run behind a triple by White and two straight buckets by Tietje, making it a 45-39 game. The home team fired back with six straight points of their own to lead 51-39 just three minutes into the quarter. Tietje then hit two free-throws and Osborne added a jumper to get it back to single digits, but ONU quickly extended back to double figures, 55-43, with 5:19 to go in the period. DC kept fighting back with a 5-0 mini run to get the game to 55-48 with 2:50 left in the third, but the Polar Bears answered the Jacket run with a scoring run of their own, this time, ending the quarter on an 11-3 run to take a 15 point lead, 66-51, entering the fourth quarter.

ONU took over in the fourth quarter, scoring 17 of the first 21 points of the fourth period, giving the Polar Bears a commanding 82-55 lead midway through the quarter. Defiance finished the game with a three-point play from Tietje and neither team would score in the final 4:33 of the game, finishing the contest with an ONU victory, 82-58.

DC caps off the four-game season-opening road swing with a trip to Olivet, Mich. to take on Olivet College on Wednesday, Nov. 30. The game is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m.