Box Score

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Hanover used the long ball Sunday to top Transylvania 83-66 in the title game of the  Heartland Conference Women's Basketball Tournament at the Beck Center, claiming the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Championship.
 
Transy (21-6) earned the top seed as the HCAC regular season champions, while Hanover (21-7) was the third seed. The Panthers upset No. 2 Franklin to get to the final game and had to win three games in three days to win the title.
 
Transy had won two previous regular season games with the Panthers
 
The game was settled in the first 20 minutes as Hanover never trailed after the first minute of action. Hanover made 11 three-pointers compared to three for the Pioneers, accounting for most of the margin of victory.
 
Tourney MVP Katie Gahimer led the assault in the first half with 19 points, helping the Panthers to a 47-24 edge at the break. Gahimer nailed seven of nine shots and all five of her three-point attempts. The Panthers led by as many as 28 late in the first half.
 
While Hanover was shooting 51 percent from the field in the opening half, the Pioneers were making just eight of 35(23 percent). Hanover turned eight Transy turnovers into 14 points and had a 14-4 edge in scoring in the paint. Hanover also made eight of 16 from behind the arc while Transy was two of seven.
 
Madisen Webb provided one bright spot with 10 first-half points and Katelyn Smith added eight. Both made the All-Tournament team.
 
Webb finished with 19 points and Smith had 15 to go with eight rebounds. Nicole Coffman notched 13 points and had three assists while Alex Botkin came up with 12 points and nine boards.
 
Seniors Terra Lucas and Brooke Colliver, who may have played their final game at the Beck Center, each had two points.
 
Gahimer finished with 28 points and six rebounds and Alicia Hopkins, who also made the All-Tournament team, added 23 points and six rebounds.
 
Transy shot 34 percent for the game and hit just three of 14 from long range. Hanover was at 47.7 percent, but made 52 percent (11 of 21) from behind the arc. Hanover also finished with a 22-6 edge in points off turnovers as Transy gave the ball up 16 times.
 
While Hanover got the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championship, Transy will hope for an at-large bid. Transy last made the NCAA field in 2010 as an at-large pick and has two appearances under head coach  Greg Todd.
 
It was also the third 20-win season in Todd's seven years and is the school's best record since going 23-6 in 2008-09.