The Hiram College women’s basketball team was defeated, 91-46, by No. 1 nationally-ranked DePauw (Ind.) University in a North Coast Athletic Conference game at Price Gymnasium.
DePauw (22-0, 13-0 NCAC) scored the first 10 points of the game, but Hiram (8-14, 3-10 NCAC) later rallied to pull to within three points, 18-15, following a three-pointer by junior guard Marisa Thomas (Lorain/Amherst) as part of an 8-2 scoring run. The Tigers responded with a run of their own scoring 14 unanswered points to take a commanding 17-point lead, 32-15, at the 5:30 minute mark. DePauw went on to post its largest lead of the half of 20 points, 40-20 en route to a 43-24 margin at the intermission.
In the second half, DePauw began the period with a 10-2 run to extend the lead to 53-26 with 17:44 left to play. The Tigers continued to pull away throughout the remainder of the half and recorded their largest lead of the game, 91-44, with just over a minute to go and went on to win by the final of 91-46.
DePauw shot 49.3 percent (34-of-69) from the field, including shooting an impressive 88.9 percent (16-of-18) at the free-throw line. The Tigers were led by Ali Ross with 18 points on eight-of-11 shooting (72.7 percent). Alex Gasaway was the only other DePauw player in double-figures with 17 points.
Hiram shot 37.5 percent (18-of-48) overall as a team and was led by freshman forward Christy Griffin(Middlfield/Cardinal) with nine points on four-of-seven shooting (57.1 percent). She was also tied with teammate and junior guard Danielle Day (Newbury) for the team-lead in rebounds with six.
Hiram will travel to Meadville, Pa. for a NCAC game against Allegheny College on Wednesday, Feb. 6. The game will be part of a basketball doubleheader with the Terrier men’s team. The women will tip-off against the Gators at 6 p.m., followed by the men at 8 p.m.