HANOVER, IN – The Hanover College women’s basketball team held off Transylvania, 82-71, on Sunday afternoon at Collier Arena to win the 2011 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Tournament Championship. With the victory, HC earned the conference’s automatic berth into the NCAA Division III Tournament set to begin next week.

Hanover, the top seed and host of the tournament, led the Pioneers 46-35 at the half and never looked back, securing the school’s first women’s basketball HCAC tournament title.  Leading the way for Hanover was senior center Molly Martin (Terre Haute, Ind./North).  The senior scored a game-high 25 points on 11-of-17 shooting from the floor, earning the tournament Most Valuable Player award for the second-straight season.

The Panthers shot 44.4% from the field and forced 19 Transy turnovers in the win.  Hanover converted 22 of their 33 free throw attempts to help maintain their lead over the feisty Pioneers.

Transylvania shot 41.5% from the floor in the loss.  Shayla Black (Mooresville, Ind./Monrovia) led Transy with 21 points and six assists in the championship game, earning a spot on the all-tournament team.  Senior guard Olivia Akridge (Eddyville, Ky./Lyon Co.) joined Black on the all-tournament squad, scoring 19 points with five rebounds and five assists in the loss.

Hanover senior guard Torin Franz (Bloomington, Ind./South) chipped in 20 points and eight rebounds in the win and was named to the all-tournament squad.  She was joined on the all-tournament team by teammate Abbey Schmahl (Aurora, Ind./South Dearborn).  Schmahl, a junior guard for the Panthers, scored 16 points with six rebounds and six assists in the championship contest.

Manchester College’s Kelsey DeMott (Martinsville, Ind./H.S.) earned the final spot on the all-tournament team for her efforts in the Spartans two games.

Hanover, under head coach Molly Jones, improved to 25-1 and will make their first trip to the NCAA Division III Tournament since 1997.

The announcement of the Division III women’s basketball field will be presented via webcast on www.ncaa.com beginning at 3 PM Monday.     

 

HCAC Women's Basketball Tournament Results

 
at Hanover College

Friday, Feb. 25
Game 1 - #5 Defiance vs. #4 Manchester
Manchester, 74-62
Game 2 - #6 Rose-Hulman vs. #3 Transylvania
Transylvania, 71-50

Saturday, Feb. 26
Game 3 - #1 Hanover vs. #4 Manchester
Hanover, 93-65 
Game 4 - #2 Franklin vs. #3 Transylvania
Transylvania, 74-59

Sunday, Feb. 27
Championship - #1 Hanover vs. #3 Transylvania
Hanover, 82-71