SUNDAY COVERAGE LINKS (2 PM vs. #25 Illinois Wesleyan):
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GREENCASTLE, Ind. -- Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology held a halftime lead and battled No. 6 ranked DePauw in a tight contest, before the host Tigers claimed a 55-49 victory on Saturday afternoon at the Midwest Challenge.
Rose-Hulman led 16-14 after the first quarter and held a 26-25 lead at the half against a DePauw program that has reached 18 NCAA Division III Tournaments and three Final Fours, along with two National Championships. Maya Howard led DePauw with 23 points and six rebounds in the win.
The Fightin' Engineers placed a pair of players in double figures, led by Ally Bromenschenkel with 16 points and nine rebounds. Chiarra Franklin also reached double figures with 10 points.
Rose-Hulman earned an early four-point lead later in the first quarter at 16-12 on a three-pointer by Abby Bromenschenkel and a layup by Franklin. The second quarter featured a one-possession margin for the last 9:30 before Ally Bromenschenkel made four free throws to end the Fightin' Engineer scoring and give the squad a 26-25 lead at the break.
In the second half, DePauw closed the third quarter on a 12-2 run to give the Tigers a 43-33 lead. DePauw pushed its edge to 11 points at 48-37, but Rose-Hulman rallied to close within 49-44 with 1:39 remaining. Franklin scored the first basket in the rally, with Ally Bromenschenkel adding another.
Rose-Hulman rallied to within 51-47 on a three-pointer by Taylor Graham with 28 seconds left, and Ally Bromenschenkel scored in the final seconds to close within the final margin.
Other key contributors for the Engineers included Abby Bromenschenel with six points, three steals and two blocks; Graham with six points; and Kayla Gerken with four points and two rebounds.
DePauw improved to 4-0 on the season, while Rose-Hulman dropped to 2-2. The Fightin' Engineers have battled one of the toughest schedules in NCAA Division III this season, with a five-point loss to No. 4 Hope and a six-point loss to No. 6 DePauw. Rose-Hulman faces No. 25 Illinois Wesleyan on Sunday at 2 p.m. in the final day of the Midwest Challenge at DePauw.
