Case Western Reserve University junior guard/forward Emily Plachta scored a game-high 18 points and sophomore guard Mya Hartjes added 16 points to lead the Spartans to a 67-53 win over Transylvania University, the 2024 NCAA Division III runner-up, in the opening game of the Gratz Park Private Wealth Holiday Tournament on Sunday afternoon in Lexington, Kentucky.

With the win, the Spartans will advance to the tournament championship game against Concordia Moorhead (5-4), which bested 14th-ranked Washington and Lee 73-62 later in the day. CWRU improved to 5-4 overall following the win, raising its record above .500 for the first time this season. The Pioneers fell to 6-4 following the loss.

Plachta finished the game shooting seven-of-14 from the floor, including four-of-eight from long range, and matched her career high with eight rebounds. Hartjes scored all but two of her 16 points in the first half, finishing the game shooting six-of-eight overall and making four-of-five three-point attempts while dishing out a team-high six assists and collecting five rebounds. Junior guard Maya Roberts added 10 points and four assists, senior forward Evie Miller had nine points, a team-high 12 rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and three steals in a well-rounded effort, and sophomore forward Maura Schorr ended the game with nine points and nine rebounds.

It was a dominating win for CWRU from start to finish, as the team took the early advantage to lead for all but two minutes of the game, and led by double-figures for the final 33 minutes of the contest. The Spartans started the day hot from the floor, connecting on seven-of-11 three-point attempts in the first quarter of the game, including a perfect four-of-four showing from long range in the opening period from Hartjes, who led the team with 12 points during the frame. The Spartans led 23-5 after a three by sophomore guard Jordyn Call with 58 seconds left in the first and took a 23-8 lead into the second period. CWRU maintained a double-digit lead throughout the second quarter despite Transylvania closing the gap to 10 points at various points during the period, and a layup by Hartjes in the closing seconds of the second quarter put the Spartans in front 36-24 heading into halftime.

Hartjes finished the first half with 14 points, while Plachta added eight points and six rebounds, and Schorr came off the bench to score seven points and collect seven rebounds during the first 20 minutes of action.

A three-pointer by Miller with 7:56 left in the third gave CWRU a 43-26 lead and the Spartans were able to increase their lead to 18 points, 56-38, by the end of the third quarter. A jumper by Plachta to start the fourth period put the Spartans ahead by 20, giving the team its largest lead of the second half, as CWRU went on for the 14-point victory.

The Spartans finished the game shooting 42.1% (24-57) overall and 41.7% (10-24) from behind the three-point line, while holding the Pioneers to 28.3% (15-53) shooting overall and 23.1% (6-26) from long range.

The Spartans will wrap up play at the Gratz Park Wealth Tournament on Monday at 3:00 p.m. in the championship game against Concordia Moorhead.

Spartan Notes

• Sunday's game was the first-ever meeting between CWRU and Transylvania. The Pioneers lost to NYU in the National Championship last year and won the title during the 2022-23 campaign.

• This was the second-straight game that Plachta has been the team's leading scorer, after registering 20 points during the team's win over Pitt.-Greensburg on December 19.

• Miller matched her career-high with her 12-rebound effort. It was the fourth time this season that she has tallied 12 rebounds in a game.

• Plachta's eight rebounds matched her career from her effort at Mount Union on November 26.

• Hartjes' six assists were just one short of her career-high mark.