FRANKLIN, Ind. -- The Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology women's basketball team dropped a heartbreaking contest at Franklin on Saturday with a 65-64 loss to the Grizzlies.
It was a back and forth affair with neither team able to take control of the contest as the game finished with 12 lead changes and 16 ties.
The Fightin' Engineers rode 7 first-quarter offensive rebounds to a 22-18 advantage after the first 10 minutes of the contest, and the close contest would continue into halftime with an even scoreline at 28. Neither team took a two-possession lead as the highest score margin of the half was three points.
Katelyn Fennell hit a triple with 8:22 remaining of the third quarter to give Rose-Hulman a six-point lead, and they took their biggest lead of the game at 38-31 on a
Sophia Reese triple on the following possession.
The Grizzlies responded with a 13-4 run to retake the lead at 44-42, and neither team was able to stretch the lead over one possession again as the third quarter would end tied at 48.
In the fourth quarter,
Katelyn Fennell put the Fightin' Engineers back in front with 2:41Â remaining on an elbow jumper to lead 60-59. A few possessions later
Jamie Baum drilled a stepback jumper with 0:32 remaining to lead 63-61.
The Grizzlies retied the game with 5 seconds to go to give the Fightin' Engineers a chance to win it at the buzzer, but the shot was off the mark, and Rose-Hulman was called for a foul on the rebound with just 0.9 seconds remaining to allow the Franklin to win it at the foul line for the 65-64 victory.
Jamie Baum led the team with 23 points, 8 rebounds, 3 steals, and 3 blocks in the loss.
Katelyn Fennell added 15 points with three made threes.
Sophia Reese and
Emma Schipp also finished in double figures with 10 points, and Schipp led the team with 6 assists.
With the loss, the Fightin' Engineers fall to 7-9 on the season and 4-5 in the HCAC. Rose-Hulman returns to action on Wednesday, January 22 as they return to the road to take on the Manchester Spartans.
