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LEXINGTON, Ky. -- The Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology women's basketball team looks to advance to the championship game in a conference tournament for the first time in program history in Saturday's 5 p.m. semifinal matchup against Hanover College.
The Fightin' Engineers earned their second ever postseason tournament victory and secured the third winning season in women's basketball program history with a 53-36 win over Franklin College on Friday night. Sophomore Abbie Marshall (13 points) and junior Cassidy Cain (12 points) reached double figures in the victory.
Rose-Hulman has won four of its last six games and two straight games to improve to 14-12 overall and secure a winning season. The Fightin' Engineers will rematch with a Hanover squad that earned 16 consecutive wins in the in-state series - until Rose-Hulman won 70-65 on Feb. 11.
Marshall leads a balanced scoring attack by averaging 8.2 points per game. Gracie Gibbs (8.0 ppg), Josie Schmidt (7.0 ppg) and Carrie Morris (6.5 ppg) are among seven players averaging over five points per game this season.
Defense has been Rose-Hulman's key to success, however, as the Fightin' Engineers rank among the national leaders by allowing just 50.8 points per game. Rose-Hulman held Franklin to under 30% from the field in the 17-point win on Friday.
Hanover earned the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye in the HCAC Tournament after finishing 17-8 overall and 13-5 in league play. The Panthers enter the conference tournament with eight wins in their last 10 games.
The winner of the Rose-Hulman vs. Hanover game advances to the HCAC Championship game against the winner of Transylvania (24-1, 18-0 HCAC) and Bluffton (18-8, 12-6 HCAC) in Saturday's other semifinal game. The championship matchup will take place at Transylvania on Sunday at 2 p.m.
