RICHMOND, IND. – A balanced scoring attack and key defensive plays down the stretch guided Manchester University to a Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference road win Saturday, Dec. 6.

MU, moving to 3-2 overall and 1-1 in league play, battled back from a nine-point deficit (14-5) early on to turn the clash with Earlham College into a back and forth affair the remainder of the day. The Spartans held as large as a five-point advantage of their own in the second stanza before the final outcome came down to the last two minutes and four seconds.

With EC leading 66-63 after Emma Stilgenbauer hit a lay-up, the Black and Gold defense buckled down and didn't surrender any further points the rest of the way. A decisive 4-0 run, with senior center Alyssa Hammond (Osgood, Ind.) converting a lay-up and two free throws, was fueled by defensive rebounding by junior guard Kelcey Daugherty (Greenwood, Ind.) and senior guard Jocelyn Hamilton (Columbus, Ind.) along with a blocked shot by Daugherty that were part of five successive missed lay-ups by the Quakers (2-4 overall, 0-2 HCAC).

Hammond's crucial four-point run was part of a 12-point, five-rebound effort. Freshman forward Samantha Bolen (Greenwood, Ind.) joined Hammond atop the scoring column with 12 points off the bench. Junior guard Katie Arterburn (Indianapolis, Ind.) and senior guard Alyssa Smith (Bluffton, Ind.) ended with 11 points apiece. Freshman forward Victoria Christlieb (Culver, Ind.) added a solid seven-point, six-rebound outing, and Daugherty turned in seven rebounds and three assists along with her blocked shot.

Manchester University continues HCAC action Saturday, Dec. 13. Rose-Hulman pays a visit to Stauffer-Wolfe Arena for a 3 p.m. tipoff.

NOTES: Daugherty registered personal single-game career highs in rebounds and assists … Hammond's sparkling season start continued. She's compiled double-digit scoring marks in four of the five contests.