RICHMOND, Ind.—The No. 19 ranked Transylvania University women's basketball team picked up a victory in Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference play in convincing fashion on Wednesday night, as they beat host Earlham College by a score of 69-39. The win over the Quakers moved Transy's win streak to five, as they remained undefeated in HCAC play.
It was a historic night for the women's basketball program, as senior guard and two-time defending HCAC MVP Nicole Coffman moved into first place on the all-time scoring list. With 8:01 remaining in the second half, Coffman converted on a jump shot, giving her 16 points for the night and 1,672 for her career.
"It's a great honor to be the all-time leading scorer because there have been a lot of great players at Transy," Coffman said. "To break the record is a privilege and I thank my parents, family, team and coaches for all their support. Without them I would have never reached this accomplishment."
The Pioneers dominated the game from the opening tip, going on a 16-4 run in the first five minutes. Sophomore guard Jordin Fender opened the scoring for Transylvania with a layup at the 18:58 mark and Transy never looked back. Earlham scored baskets on consecutive possessions to take a 4-2 lead but a stifling defensive effort for the Pioneers held them without a basket until the 9:46 mark, which made the score 16-6.
Transylvania would continue to build on their impressive lead, going on another prolonged run and outscoring Earlham 15-0 over the next three minutes. The run was kick started by a three-point basket from junior guard Katelyn Smith, one of her five triples in the first half.
After a basket from Earlham made the score 31-8 with just over six minutes left, the Pioneers would go on a 10-2 run to close the half, holding Earlham to just one field goal over the final six minutes to build their commanding lead and head to the locker room up 41-10.
During the first half, Transy was able to force six turnovers and hold Earlham to just five made field goals and dominating the boards. Transylvania outrebounded the Quakers 29-15 in the opening half, pulling in nine offensive rebounds. Senior forward Kayla Dobson gave the Pioneers the edge, grabbing four boards in the first 20 minutes.
Offensively, the Pioneers shot better than 42% (15-35) from the field, including 46% from behind the arc (6-13). Smith led the team with 21 points on 8-11 shooting. Smith was followed closely by and Fender, who each added seven points in the opening period.
The second half saw much of the same, as Transylvania continued to watch their lead swell. With 15:58 left in the game, Coffman sank two free throws to give the Pioneers a 50-19 lead and starting a Transy run that was capped by a jumper from freshman forward Rachel Cox. The basket, scored with 11:00 remaining, gave the Pioneers their widest margin of the game at 38.
Smith's 21 points were a game-high, followed by Coffman's 16 and nine from Fender. 10 players recorded points for the Pioneers en route to an offensive performance that included 40% shooting from the field and six three-point baskets. Transy was able to force 15 turnovers from the Quakers and held their opponent to just 31% (17-55) shooting from the floor.
Transylvania moves to 13-1 on the season and 7-0 in conference play. The team will travel to Bluffton (10-4, 5-2 HCAC) on Saturday, Jan. 17. The Pioneers return home the following Saturday, Jan. 24.