Franklin, Ind. – In a defensive classic pitting the third and fourth place teams in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference against one another, the Transylvania women's basketball team fell to the Franklin Grizzlies, 55-47.
With a win, the Pioneers would have sealed up the outright third seed in next week's six-team HCAC conference tournament. Instead, the result left the Pioneers and Grizzlies each with conference records of 13-4, deadlocked for a third-place tie with one game remaining in the regular season for both squads.
The Grizzlies exacted some simmering revenge against the Pioneers, who won sizably at the Beck Center in the first meeting of the season, 76-60 on January 13. More importantly, tonight's win allowed the Grizzlies to draw even with the Pioneers in the HCAC standings after trailing them by one game for a two-week stretch.
Senior guard Katelyn Smith led the way for Transylvania with 17 points, eight rebounds, one assist and one block while shooting 6-for-15 from the field and 1-for-3 from outside. Senior point guard Shawn Kolani also led an admirable charge with 11 points, six rebounds, three assists, and two steals while knocking down three triples in seven attempts.
In a low-possession game that endured 24 combined turnovers, the Pioneers saw points at a premium all night. The Pioneers hit 15-of-45 field goal attempts, while trying to make the difference at the foul line where they went 12-for-18 on the night.
After trudging through a first quarter that ended in a 12-12 score, Transylvania's offense grinded to a halt in the second quarter, producing just eight points. Franklin went on a relative eruption in the form of a 7-0 run to claim a 19-14 lead midway through the second quarter. The Pioneers locked in on defense the rest of the quarter to salvage a 25-20 deficit heading into the halftime break.
The main culprit for the Pioneers' first half was their 2-for-11 shooting from beyond the arc combined with a 3-for-3 downtown effort by Franklin's key scorer, Lauren DeSutter.
Transylvania began the second half with offensive success, using a Smith jumper, a layup and 3-ball from Kolani, and a layup from senior guard Lindsay Hieronymus to post a 9-2 run for a 29-27 lead. Franklin then countered with a 10-2 run over the next five minutes to take a six-point lead before Kolani buried a 3-pointer to pull the Pioneers back within three at 37-34. Two late field goals gave Franklin a seven-point cushion as they headed to the fourth quarter.
Key scores by Smith, Hieronymus and senior guard Ali Moreland brought Transy back within one at 41-40 with 7:20 left in the game, and the contest appeared headed for an unpredictable finish. But the game shifted back into a defensive tenor, and Franklin fought its way to a 49-43 lead with a sliver over three minutes remaining.
Smith knocked down two charity shots to bring Transylvania back within four at 49-45 with 2:30 left in the game. But Franklin used a possession of stunning length to compel the pace of the game back in their favor; after working the shot clock into single-digits, the Grizzlies grabbed an offensive rebound after a three-point try missed errantly. Franklin again churned the shot clock to single-figures and missed another long jumper that careened off the side of the rim and multiple players before the Grizzlies secured possession again with 1:38 left in regulation. With the shot clock waning for a third time on the successive trip, DeSutter hit a long jumper to give her Grizzlies a 51-45 lead with only 1:09 to go.
Moreland fought her way to the line and hit two free throws to bring the Pioneers back within four, but with no recourse except to foul, Transylvania watched Franklin hit their free throws down the stretch for the final 55-47 margin.
Transylvania shot 33 percent from the field in both halves, but won the three-point battle in the second half against Franklin, shooting 3-for-9 from the field compared to 0-for-6 from outside for the Grizzlies.
Franklin enjoyed nine more field goal attempts in the second half, due in part to their 25-15 advantage on the boards in the second frame. Transy's four seniors led the offensive charge in the second half, combining for 27 points, but the rest of the rotation shot just 0-for-6 from the floor.
Transylvania now returns to Lexington for a scintillating Saturday in which those four seniors will be honored at their final regular season home game before hosting Manchester (6-18, 4-13 HCAC) in a crucial two hours that could determine who will gain the three-seed in the HCAC tournament.
Franklin, meanwhile, ventures to Anderson (5-19, 4-13 HCAC) for a crucial road match to try and stay even with Transylvania for third place. Regardless of Saturday's results, both Transylvania and Franklin are guaranteed the opportunity to host an HCAC quarterfinal game next Tuesday.
While conjecture about playoff positioning is underway, Transylvania will pause for three days before commencing the final step of their regular season journey on Saturday vs. Manchester in a 1:00 p.m. tip off at the Beck Center.
For the latest on Transylvania women's basketball, follow the team on twitter @TUWBX