LEXINGTON , KY - The Transylvania University women's basketball team held off Hanover , 79-69, on Saturday evening at the Clive M. Beck Center to win the 2009 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Tournament Championship. The Pioneers, with the victory, earned the conference's automatic berth into the NCAA Division III Tournament set to begin on March 6.

Transylvania , the top seed and host of the tournament, trailed the Panthers 38-32 at the half before outscoring the visitors by 16 in the second frame to earn the school's first HCAC women's basketball tournament title. Leading the way for Transy was sophomore guard Olivia Akridge (Eddyville, Ky./Lyon Co.) who scored a game-high 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting.

The Pioneers shot 42.4% from the field and forced 26 Hanover turnovers in the win. The Panthers struggled shooting, connecting on 33.9% of their attempts from the floor. Molly Martin (Terre Haute , Ind. /North) led Hanover with 13 points and 14 rebounds in the championship game.

Transylvania , under head coach Greg Todd, improved to 22-5 and will make their second trip to the NCAA Division III Tournament in the past three seasons.

Junior guard Brittany Henderlight (Versailles, Ky./Woodford Co.) chipped in 15 points and eight rebounds in the win and was named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament. She was joined on the all-tournament team by teammates Jackie Distler (Louisville , Ky. /Sacred Heart) and Olivia Akridge. Distler, a senior guard for the Pioneers, scored 10 points in the championship contest.

Hanover 's Martin represented the Panthers on the all-tournament team. Martin averaged 19.6 points and 11.3 rebounds per game during Hanover 's three game tournament run.

Anderson University 's Mel Hawthorne (Indianapolis , Ind./Perry Meridian ) and Franklin College 's Monica Planalp (Tipton , Ind. /H.S.) were also members of the all-tournament team.

The NCAA selection committee is set to release the tournament field Monday, March 2 at 9:00 AM.