LEXINGTON, KY – The Hanover College women's basketball team pulled out an exciting 106-98 win over top seed Transylvania on Sunday afternoon at the Beck Center to win the 2015 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Tournament Championship. With the victory, Hanover earned the conference's automatic berth into the NCAA Division III Tournament set to begin next week.

The Panthers held a 49-46 lead at the half and stretched the lead to 11 in the second half. Hanover's hot shooting continued in the second half to secure the school's third women's basketball HCAC tournament title.  The Panthers shot a blistering 56.9% for the game, including 43.5% from behind the arc.

Leading the way for Hanover was senior guard Alicia Hopkins (Columbus, Ind./East).  The senior scored 29 points, all in the second half, and connected on seven of her nine three-point field goal attempts, earning the tournament Most Valuable Player award. Senior forward Megan Caudill (Richmond, Ind./H.S.) added a team-high 33 points with 10 rebounds in the win and was named to the all-tournament squad.  Senior guard Shauna Watson (Ft. Wayne, Ind./Concordia Lutheran) also earned a spot on the all-tournament team, netting nine points with eight assists in the title game.

Senior guard Nicole Coffman (Liberty, Ky./Casey Co.) scored a game-high 37 points, on 16-of-21 shooting, for the Pioneers in the championship game, claiming a spot on the all-tournament team.  Junior guard Katelyn Smith (Hazard, Ky./Perry Co. Central) joined Coffman on the all-tournament squad, scoring 20 points with 12 rebounds in the loss.

Bluffton University's Macey Sheerer (Bucyrus, Ohio/H.S.) earned the final spot on the all-tournament team for her efforts this weekend.

Hanover, under head coach Molly Jones, improved to 19-8 and will make the trip to the NCAA Division III Tournament for the third time since the 2011 season.

The announcement of the Division III women's basketball field will be presented via webcast on www.ncaa.com beginning at 2:30 PM Monday.    

Women's Tournament Results

Friday, Feb. 27 (Opening Round at TU)
Game 1 - #5 Manchester vs. #4 Bluffton
Bluffton, 57-50
Postgame Interviews: Coach Shutler / Taylor Knight & Macey Sheerer

Game 2 - #6 Rose-Hulman vs. #3 Franklin
Rose-Hulman, 53-36
Postgame Interviews: Coach Prevo / Sheree Williams & Gracie Gibbs

Saturday, Feb. 28 (Semifinals at TU)
Game 3 - #1 Transylvania vs. #4 Bluffton
Transylvania, 61-48
Postgame Interviews: Coach Fulks / Liz Thomas & Jordin Fender

Game 4 - #2 Hanover vs. #6 Rose-Hulman
Hanover, 65-51
Postgame Interviews: Coach Jones / Caudill, Hopkins, & Watson

Sunday, Mar. 1(Championship at TU)
Championship - Transylvania vs. Hanover
Hanover, 106-98