Tietje Scores Career-High in Win at MSJ

CINCINNATI, OHIO   --  Sophomore forward Kelsey Tietje (Deshler/Patrick Henry) scored over half of the team's total points for the game with a career-high 37 points, including 19 points from the free-throw line, in addition to grabbing 17 rebounds as the Defiance College women's basketball team claimed a 65-61 win against Mount St. Joseph University in Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference play in Cincinnati.  

Tietje continues her impressive play this season with her 17th double-double of the year.  She shot nine-of-15 overall (60.0 percent) from the field and 19-of-25 (76.0 percent) at the free-throw line.  Joining her in double figures was sophomore guard Erica Smay (Defiance/Tinora) with 12 points and senior guard/forward Megan Zachrich (Napoleon) added 11 points.

Defiance (9-12, 8-6 HCAC) scored the game's first three points, but Mount St. Joseph (5-16, 1-13 HCAC) then went on a 7-0 scoring run to take the lead, 7-3, with 12:14 remaining in the opening half.  The Lions went on to increase the margin to six points, before a mini 5-0 run by the Yellow Jackets thanks to a pair of free-throws by Tietje and a three-pointer by Zachrich, made it a one-point game, 11-10, with under 10 minutes to go in the period.  DC eventually evened the score later in the half at 15-15 and had a one-point edge, 19-18, at the 5:12 mark following another pair of free-throws by Tietje.  The two teams went back-and-forth the rest of the way, but the period ended the way it began, in a tie, with a halftime score of 27-27.

The start of the second half saw MSJ score the first five points to go up 32-27.  DC answered with an ensuing 8-3 run that ended in a three-point play by Tietje to tie the score at 35-35 with 15:14 to play.  Just past the midway point of the half, the Jackets found themselves up by four points, 48-44, following a jumper by sophomore forward Keri Conine (Ottawa/Pandora-Gilboa), but the Lions came right back with a 6-0 run to move back ahead on the scoreboard, 50-48, with 7:17 remaining.  Both teams continued to trade leads and battled to a tie for the 15th time in the contest with 1:22 to go and a score of 61-61.  Tietje gave the Jackets the lead for good on a layup with 50 seconds left and added to more free-throws to end the game as MSJ failed to score any points since the 1:22 mark resulting in a 65-61 DC victory.

The Lions had two players score in double figures led by Bristyl Webb with 17 points and Meredith Hartfiel added 15 points.

Defiance will play its next three games at home beginning with a HCAC matchup against Earlham (Ind.) College on Wednesday, Feb. 11 at the Karl H. Weaner Center.  The game is set to begin at 7:30 p.m.