The Yellow Jackets Drop Their Final Home Game of the Season

DEFIANCE, Ohio – Defiance College just couldn't find the shots it needed down the stretch as they fell to Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference foe Manchester (Ind.) University, 66-57.

The Spartans (13-11, 10-7 HCAC) wrapped up a HCAC Tournament berth with their win over the Yellow Jackets (9-15, 8-9 HCAC).

DC started strong the first 16 minutes, putting together a 19-13 lead.  It was the sophomore show for the home team in the first half as forward Kelsey Tietje (Deshler/Patrick Henry) put in the first six points for the Yellow Jackets.  Fellow sophomore Ashley Williams (Leipsic/Pandora-Gilboa) cashed in on a three after Tietje's hot start.  Sophomore forward Keri Conine (Ottawa/Pandora-Gilboa) then put in four straight points for DC to give the home team a 13-12 lead with 9:32 to go in the first half.  A fourth sophomore, Erica Smay (Defiance/Tinora), made a triple to extend DC's lead out to four points.  Williams followed with another shot from downtown to give the Yellow Jackets their largest lead of the game, 19-13 with just under six minutes to play in the first half.  Tietje scored the first six points of the half for DC and would score the final six points for the Yellow Jackets in the first 20 minutes, giving DC a total of 25 points.  They trailed by six points though, as Manchester held the close lead at intermission.

Tietje put up a double-double in the first half alone, totaling 12 points and 10 rebounds.  Williams added six points for the Yellow Jackets in the first half.

Tietje hit four of the first five field goals for DC to start the second half to get her total up to 20 points within the first seven minutes of the half.  Senior guard/forward Megan Zachrich (Napoleon) hit the other field goal, scoring on a shot from behind the arc.  Freshman guard Mekai White (Cincinnati/Winton Woods) provided a big spark off the bench, getting the Yellow Jackets within two points with a jumper just outside the paint followed by a three-pointer on a fast break.  The Spartans led 43-41 with 11:13 left to play.  Tietje and Smay both put in three points for DC within 90 seconds of each other to make the score 53-46 in favor of Manchester.  Tietje scored a field goal and a free-throw as Smay hit another triple.  Tietje hit another shot in the paint a short time later to keep Manchester's lead at seven.  Conine and Tietje both hit a shot to get the Yellow Jackets as close as six points on two occasions, but that would be as close as DC would get as it could not capitalize on Manchester's poor free-throw shooting down the stretch.  Tietje added another three free-throws and White put in two more at the charity stripe to mark the final score of 66-57.

Tietje ended with a monster game, scoring 29 points and pulling down 17 boards.  White ended in second in the scoring column for DC with seven points.  Conine, Smay, and Williams all added six points apiece.  White and Williams both added four rebounds for the Yellow Jackets.  Williams also added four assists which trailed only Zachrich who dished out five dimes.

The Yellow Jackets will play on Saturday (Feb. 21) at Franklin (Ind.) College in their last regular-season game.  Start time is set for 2 pm with the men's game to follow.