Women's Basketball Report (Week 9) - Manchester Hands Franklin 1st Loss of Season
GREENWOOD, IN - Manchester College (11-4, 7-1 HCAC) moved into a three-way tie for first in the HCAC standings after posting a pair of road wins last week. The Spartans beat Defiance 58-47 Wednesday and won their fifth straight contest with a 39-36 win at previously No. 13 Franklin.
Senior center Kailey Honn (Westfield, Ind./H.S.) led the MC effort against Defiance, scoring 16 points with seven boards, two steals, and three blocks.
In the narrow win over previously unbeaten Franklin Saturday, the Spartans won despite shooting 18.8% from the field (9-of-48)
Senior forward Laine Mello (Fort Wayne, Ind./Bishop Dwenger) was the only Spartan in double figures with 13 points and nine rebounds in the win.
No. 18 Franklin (14-1, 7-1 HCAC) saw its 14 game win streak come to an end against Manchester Saturday. The blue and gold were victorious earlier in the week, defeating Mount St. Joseph 75-36 in Cincinnati.
Manchester will look to keep its win streak alive against Bluffton and Mount St. Joseph this week, while Franklin will look to bounce back against Rose-Hulman and Earlham.
In other action...
Hanover College (11-3, 7-1 HCAC) stands alongside Manchester and Franklin atop the league standings with a 7-1 mark in HCAC action. The Panthers stretched their win streak to five-straight with wins over Transylvania and Earlham.
In a 71-55 win over Transy, the Panthers earned the win on the defensive end holding the visitors to 27.3% shooting from the field and forcing 30 turnovers.
Hanover concluded the week with an 89-69 road win over Earlham. Five different Panthers were in double figures in the win.
Bluffton University (4-11, 2-6 HCAC) won its first two conference games this week, going a perfect 2-0. The Beavers ended a seven game skid with an 84-63 triumph at Earlham and concluded the week with a 60-53 win at Anderson.
Senior forward Brittany Stegmaier (Garfield, Ohio/Trinity) scored 29 points on 10-of-17 shooting (58.8 percent) from the field in the wins.
For a complete recap of Week 9 in HCAC Women's Basketball, click here
