Jackets Keep Tourney Hopes Alive with Second-Straight Win

DEFIANCE, Ohio – Defiance moved one step closer to a HCAC Tournament berth, claiming a 60-47 victory over Rose-Hulman on Saturday, February 14. DC closed out its 2008-09 home slate with a pair of HCAC victories to tie Bluffton for the sixth and final spot in the conference tourney.

The win sets up a crucial matchup with the Beavers next Wednesday, February 18, as a Jackets' victory will lock up Defiance's first tournament berth since the 2006-07 campaign.

DC opened the game on a 22-4 run, holding the Engineers without a field goal for nearly ten minutes. Rose-Hulman would go on to score the next seven points of the game to stop the bleeding, but a conventional three-point play Amber Bailey and a deep trey by Courtney Schmersal pushed the Jackets' lead back to 15. The Engineers scored the final four points of the half, as Defiance went into the break with a 28-17 advantage.

Rose-Hulman pulled within eight, 34-26, in the first seven minutes of the final period, before Schmersal hit her second three-pointer of the game to ignite an 11-2 DC run. Molly Bateman and Holly Stein scored the next eight points for Defiance, helping the Jackets grab a 45-28 lead with 7:42 left in the game.

The Engineers were able to cut the lead to seven, 52-45, with a minute and a half remaining in the contest, but DC would all connect on all eight of its free throw attempts to close out the victory.

The difference in the game came at the charity stripe, where the Jackets outscored Rose-Hulman by 13 points. Defiance finished 21-of-26 from the line, including seven-of-eight shooting from junior center Amber Bailey. DC had another solid defensive performance, holding the Engineers to 28.1 percent shooting while also forcing 19 turnovers.

Stucke led Defiance with five assists and a season-high 14 points while adding six rebounds. Bailey recorded her third double-double of the season, tallying 13 points and ten caroms. Katie Carunchia grabbed a career-high ten rebounds to go along with her seven points, while Schmersal and Bateman combined for 17 points off the bench.

Defiance (9-14) will back in action on Wednesday, when it looks to clinch its first HCAC Tournament berth under head coach Dic Doumanian at rival Bluffton. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.