TERRE HAUTE, Ind. -- The Rose-Hulman Fightin' Engineers hosted Hanover College in HCAC action on Wednesday night. The team suffered a close loss to the Panthers with a final score of 73-70. This drops the Fightin' Engineers to 7-8 overall and 4-4 in the HCAC this season.

Sophia Reese led the team in scoring with 20 points shooting 7-13 from the field and a perfect 5-5 from the charity stripe while adding a team-high four assists. Jamie Baum (17) and CK Gallegos Rodriguez (11) both reached double figures in scoring as well. Emma Schipp led the Fightin' Engineers on the boards totaling seven rebounds in the contest.

Hanover started the game off strong jumping to a nine-point lead at the end of the first quarter with the score at 17-8. After being down 30-21 with 3:47 left in the second quarter, Rose-Hulman went on a 9-1 run to cut the deficit to just one point.

A couple of made free throws and a made layup by the Panthers at the buzzer put them ahead of Rose-Hulman with a score of 35-30 at the halftime break.

Rose-Hulman kept the score close trailing by just one point with the score at 67-66 in the final minute of the fourth quarter. Hanover hit a big three-pointer with 14 seconds remaining to take a four-point lead with the score at 72-68. Gallegos Rodriguez hit a big jumper to cut the lead to two points in the final seconds. 

After fouling the Panthers, Hanover would hit one free throw to make the score 73-70 with six seconds remaining in the game. Reese got an open look on a three-pointer to tie the game at the buzzer, but she could not connect as the Panthers would come away with the hard-fought win. 

Rose-Hulman will continue conference play, traveling to face Franklin College on Saturday, January 18 at 1 PM.