Hiram Keeps Close With DePauw in NCAC Tournament Loss

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GREENCASTLE, Indiana - February 21, 2023 - The Terriers finished the first quarter with the lead and gave the No. 2-seeded DePauw Tigers everything they had in a 71-54 loss in the quarterfinals of the NCAC Tournament on Tuesday evening at Neal Fieldhouse.

Hiram got three-pointers from Maddie Rakestraw and Haley Thompson, while holding the Tigers to a 31% FG pct (4-13) in the first 10 minutes. Hiram led 14-13 against a team that had lost just one conference game all season.

DePauw would gain some ground in the second quarter, but Hiram kept the score within single digits for the entirety of the first half. Thompson scored 8 points in the half, with Lizzy Scharer providing a boost and scoring the team's final 4 points off the bench.

The Terriers ended the third quarter with 4 unanswered points to fend off an 8-0 run by DePauw and keep the score within 10 points (51-41). Five different Hiram players scored in the quarter, including Ava Mory with 4 points.

The Tigers secured the victory by scoring 14 of the last 19 points in the game; Ava Hassel (27 points) and Mya Shannon (23 points) combined for 50 points to advance their team to the semifinals. Hickman and Scharer teamed up for 9 fourth-quarter points to keep Hiram within range before it fell just short.

Hickman paced the Terriers with 12 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists, with Scharer adding 9 points on a career-high 7 made free throws. Thompson (8 pts, 3 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl) and Taylor Valaitis (7 pts, 5 reb, 3 ast) capped off their collegiate careers with all-around performances on both ends of the floor.

Hiram finishes the season with a lot to be proud of; the team nearly beat the No. 17 team in the country, went on a 4-game winning streak in November/December and pulled off a come-from-behind victory over Denison. It finishes with a 9-17, 3-11 NCAC record with the majority of the roster set to return in 2023-24.