Box Score

FRANKLIN, IN - The Franklin College women's basketball team held off Hanover, 80-73, on Saturday evening at the Spurlock Center to win the 2010 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Tournament Championship. The Grizzlies, with the victory, earned the conference's automatic berth into the NCAA Division III Tournament set to begin on March 5.

Franklin, the top seed and host of the tournament, led the Panthers 32-31 at the half before outscoring the visitors by six in the second frame to earn the school's third HCAC women's basketball tournament title.  Leading the way for Franklin was sophomore guard Sarah Condra (Whiteland, Ind./H.S.) who scored a team-high 22 points on 5-of-14 shooting, earning a spot on the all-tournament team.

The Grizzlies shot 41.9% from the field and forced 19 Hanover turnovers in the win.  FC converted 23 of their 25 free throw attempts to help ice the game down the stretch. 

The Panthers shot 40.0% from the floor in the loss.  Molly Martin (Terre Haute, Ind./North) led Hanover with 36 points and 12 rebounds in the championship game, earning the tournament Most Valuable Player award.  Martin averaged 29.7 points and 12.0 rebounds during the Panthers' three game tournament run.

Franklin, under head coach Kim Eiler, improved to 21-6 and will make their first trip to the NCAA Division III Tournament since the 2005-06 season.

Senior center Heather Harper (Mooresville, Ind./H.S.) chipped in 16 points and seven rebounds in the win and was named to the all-tournament squad.  She was joined on the all-tournament team by teammate Brittney Wilson (Whiteland, Ind./H.S.).  Wilson, a junior guard for the Grizzlies, scored 16 points in the championship contest.

Hanover's Torin Franz (Bloomington, Ind./South) represented the Panthers on the all-tournament team. Franz scored 11 points and grabbed seven boards in the championship game defeat.

Defiance College's Shavonda Price (Fort Wayne, Ind./South Side) was also a member of the all-tournament team.

The NCAA selection committee is set to release the tournament field Monday, March 1 at 9:00 AM.

Photo: 2009-10 All-HCAC Tournament Team
(Not pictured: Shavonda Price, Defiance)