NORTH MANCHESTER, IND. – Manchester University got off to a flying start against visiting Defiance College in Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference action Wednesday, Feb. 17.

The Spartans hit just under 50 percent from the field overall (48.5), were red hot from outside the arc (four-for-six – 66.7 pct.) and hit on three of their four free throw tries to help build as large as a nine-point advantage in the opening frame. However, the second half saw the opposite effect for the home side, as they struggled, going only five-of-34 (14.7 percent) total and hitting just one of 11 three-point tries while the visiting Yellowjackets took off on a 30-12 final 20 minutes' roll to claim a 66-51 decision at Stauffer-Wolfe Arena.

Sophomore forward Tori Christlieb (Culver, Ind.) led the way for the Black and Gold (6-18 overall, 4-13 HCAC) with an 11-point, nine-rebound effort. Freshman forward/center Maddy Minehart (Auburn, Ind.) was next in line scoring-wise with nine, while junior guard Jenifer Lee (Rockville, Ind.) and freshman guard Faith-Alexis Graham (Indianapolis, Ind.) tallied seven points apiece. Lee also added a team-best three assists to her stat line.

The Spartans conclude the 2015-16 campaign Saturday, Feb. 20. They travel to Transylvania University for a 1 p.m. tipoff.

NOTES: Christlieb was just a rebound off her third double-double of the season. Her nine boards resumed an impressive recent run for the sophomore, as her season average is up seven-tenths (5.5-6.2) in the span of the last six outings … Lee continued a solid late-season roll, too. She's tallied five-points-or-more in nine of the last 10 contests, multiple assists three times in the period and multiple steals four times in the stretch.