TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – The Fightin' Engineers recorded a clutch victory over the Hanover Panthers by a score of 66-59.
 
The Panthers opened the game on a 15-6 run, which came to an end on an and-one layup from Katelyn Fennell. Julia Meyer would haul in an offensive rebound, and she scored a layup right before the buzzer, concluding the quarter with a score of 15-11.
 
The Fightin' Engineers' scoring run would continue, with Meyer converting a mid-range jumper that tied the game at 15. María Godoy Rodriguez recorded a steal on the following possession, which resulted in a Fennell layup to give Rose-Hulman the lead.
 
Sophia Reese and Emma Schipp each added two-point jump shots as RHIT extended the lead to 21-16. Following a Hanover free throw, Anaya Hawkins knocked down a jump shot in the paint. She would later add a steal and a block on back-to-back possessions, as the Fightin' Engineers wrapped up the half with a 27-22 lead.
 
Hawkins led off the third by scoring on a layup. Fennell immediately forced a steal at halfcourt the next possession, which led to a fastbreak layup to stretch the lead to double figures.
 
The Fightin' Engineers continued to thrive on the defensive end, as a steal and perfect pass from Kaia Peterson resulted in Fennell swishing a top-of-the-key three. María Godoy Rodriguez forced a steal on the next possession before Hawkins scored another layup to make it a 38-22 game.
 
The Panthers were able to battle back with a quick 7-0 run, which came to an end off a pair of Fennell free throws. CK Gallegos Rodriguez forced a steal which Peterson took coast-to-coast for a fast break layup. Reese added a jumper in the paint, wrapping up the third quarter with a 44-33 lead for RHIT.
 
Hanover was able to reduce the deficit once again, largely due to the play of Emerson Vlcan. The freshman scored 16 points in the fourth quarter, and she finished the game with 21 points, while shooting 9-9 from the floor.
 
Following a pair of Vlcan layups, Rose-Hulman's lead stood at 52-46 halfway through the fourth. Schipp hauled in an offensive rebound, and she dished out an assist to Fennell, who scored a tough shot in the paint.
 
Schipp scored a layup of her own on the next possession, which increased Rose's lead to 56-48.
 
Vlcan would score three straight field goals for Hanover, which made the score 57-54 at the one-minute mark. The Fightin' Engineers' defense forced a missed three-pointer, and Gallegos Rodriguez hit a clutch layup on the other end off a great pass from Fennell.
 
Reese stole the ball on the next possession, and she assisted to Peterson on the fast break, which all but iced the game, as Rose-Hulman secured the victory by a score of 66-59.
 
The Fightin' Engineers are now tied with Manchester for the #8-seed in the conference, as the Spartans dropped to Anderson today.
 
Katelyn Fennell scored a team-high 20 points, highlighted by 9-11 shooting at the free throw line. She added six rebounds and recorded two steals.
 
Emma Schipp posted a double-double for the second game in a row. She recorded 11 points, while hauling in a career-high 13 rebounds, with six coming on the offensive end.
 
Sophia Reese dropped 11 points, and she recorded four rebounds, three assists, and one steal.
 
Kaia Peterson, Anaya Hawkins, and Julia Meyer each recorded six points. Peterson added five rebounds and three steals, while Hawkins shot a perfect 3-3 from the field.
 
María Godoy Rodriguez recorded two points, five rebounds, and three assists. She dominated on the defensive end, accumulating four steals and blocking a career-high three shots.
 
Rose-Hulman will face the Anderson Ravens for the Senior Day game on Saturday, February 7, at 1 PM. Prior to the match, the Fightin' Engineers will honor their three seniors in Tori Scales, Columba Rodriguez, and CK Gallegos Rodriguez.