BOX SCORE
LEXINGTON, Ky. - The Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology women's basketball team connected on 9-11 shots from beyond the arc, but it was No. 15 Transylvania that escaped the contest with a 67-66 victory in Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) action Saturday, Jan. 24.
With the game tied 31-31 at halftime, the Fightin' Engineers began the second half on a 12-2 run to take a 43-33 advantage with 16:29 to play. The Pioneers (16-1, 10-0) would take the lead until Jordan Fender connected on a triple try with a minute to play to give Transylvania a 65-64 lead.
Sophomore Abbie Marshall nailed a jumper with 29 seconds left to put Rose-Hulman back on top by a point. The Engineer defense then forced an offensive foul to regain possession.
Rose-Hulman missed the front end of a one-and-one, and the HCAC's leading scorer Katelyn Smith was fouled on a drive to the basket with six seconds to play. After converting both free throws, Marshall drove down the court and forced up a shot from the elbow as time expired. The shot hit the back of the rim and bounced out.
Sophomore Kristen Belyea led Rose-Hulman offensively with a season-high 15 points including shooting 5-7 from beyond the arc. Senior Gracie Gibbs added 13 points, three assists, and three rebounds. Senior Sheree Williams was the third Engineers to finish in double figures with 11 points, a season high from the Bluffton, S.C., native. Along with the three double-digit scorers, Marshall finished with nine points, six rebounds, four assists, and two steals.
Nicole Coffman and Smith led Transylvania with 25 and 19 points respectively.
Rose-Hulman dips to 9-8 on the season including a 5-5 mark in HCAC play. The Engineers return home on Wednesday, Jan. 28 for a 7:30 p.m. game against Anderson.
