Tietje Joins 1,000-Point Club in Loss to Mount Union

ALLIANCE, OHIO  --  Junior Kelsey Tietje (Deshler/Patrick Henry) joined a special list with her 18 points tonight against the University of Mount Union, becoming the 20th player in Defiance College women's basketball history to score 1,000 career points.  

Tietje led Defiance with her third double-double of the season scoring a team-high 18 points on 36.8 percent shooting (seven-of-19) and 17 rebounds.  She now currently ranks 20th all-time on the program scoring list with exactly 1,000 points.  The duo of juniors Erica Smay (Defiance/Tinora) and Keri Conine (Ottawa/Pandora-Gilboa) rounded out the high scorers for Defiance with 10 points each.

Mount Union (7-2) got out to a fast start in the first quarter shooting 60.0 percent (nine-of-15), including making four three-pointers, and held Defiance (1-7) to just 18.8 percent (three-of-16) shooting.  The Purple Raiders led by as many as 17 points in the quarter multiple times with the last one coming at the 2:26 minute mark, 24-7.  DC recorded the final points of the period on a layup by junior Kelsey Tietje (Deshler/Patrick Henry) to make the score 24-9 after one frame.

In the second quarter, Defiance was held scoreless until the 7:04 mark when junior Ashley Williams (Leipsic/Pandora-Gilboa) connected on a three-pointer that made the score, 32-12.  DC would not find the bottom of the net again until the 4:16 mark when Conine made a jumper from behind the arc.  The Purple Raiders couldn't take complete advantage of the drought scoring just five points to extend the margin to, 37-12, leading up to the Conine basket.  Mount Union went on to lead by as many as 26 points, 43-17, in the period.  The final points for DC came on a jumper by Tietje and Smay added a free-throw and a jumper from long range as the two teams went into the locker rooms with the Purple Raiders leading, 43-21.

Mount Union maintained their sizeable advantage throughout the third quarter.  A jumper by freshman Sam Ervin (Bloomdale/Elmwood) with 1:51 to go in the period got the Jackets to within 20 points, 56-36, but that would be as close as Defiance would get.  Mount Union scored the final points of the quarter and took a 59-36 margin into the final quarter. 

In the opening minutes of the fourth, Defiance went on a 7-0 scoring run which ended at the 5:24 minute mark when Tietje made good on a jumper in the paint to record her 1,000th career point.  The bucket also got the Jackets to within 15 points, 61-46.  But an ensuing 5-0 run increase the Mount Union lead back to 20 points, 66-46, en route to the 73-54 final.

Mount Union shot 45.3 percent (29-of-64) from the floor and was led in scoring by Katie Reed with a game-high 19 points.  Sarah Grippi was second with 11 points and Annie Bova added 10 points.

Defiance will next travel to Dubuque, Iowa for the two-day University of Dubuque Jon Davison Classic on Tuesday-Wednesday, Dec. 29-30.  The Yellow Jackets will take on host school Dubuque on Tuesday with tip-off scheduled for 6 p.m.