PHOTOS

RICHMOND, Ind. – The Earlham College women's basketball team came from 13 points down to get within a single point of Franklin, but the Grizzlies pulled away with a 66-55 win over the Quakers in Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) action on Saturday.

Franklin (6-1, 3-0 HCAC) scored the game's first 13 points, but Earlham battled back to within two points with a 13-2 run capped off by a layup from senior Kasin Spay with 2:41 to play in the first quarter.

Trailing by four to begin the second period of play, sophomore Mariah Flynn hit a layup to get Earlham within two points (19-17), yet again. The Grizzlies would push their lead back up to nine points when Lauren DeSutter scored two of her game-high 22 points. Flynn kept the Quakers close, however, as the Kodak, Tenn., native hit two jumpers in the final minute including a 16-footer that beat the buzzer.

Trailing 34-29 at halftime, Earlham scored six of the first eight points using two Hannah Franklin jump shots in a layup from Spay. After a stop, the Quakers had a chance to take a lead, but Franklin's runner rimmed out. Kayle Comer connected on a triple on the following possession pushing the score to 39-35.

History would repeat itself as junior Shania Feathers connected on the old-fashioned three-point play to make the score 39-38 with 4:55 to play. Franklin again hit a three-pointer, this time from DeSutter, to stretch the lead back to four.

In the fourth quarter, the Quakers got the deficit down to three points (51-48) when junior Lexi McFarland connected on a triple with 6:11 to play. After a basket from Emily Alfrey, senior Kiara Scott got the Quakers within three points again.

Earlham could not get any closer, however, and was forced to foul trailing by seven.

Spay led the Quakers with 21 points on 8-16 shooting. The Muncie, Ind., native has now tallied 1,133 career points and sits seventh on the all-time scoring list. Franklin finished with 10 points while Flynn added nine.

DeSutter led the way with 22 points for Franklin. Cayle Comer also finished in double figures with 11. Katie Brewer, who nearly averages a double-double, finished with six points and six rebounds.

Franklin shot 44.6 percent (25-56) from the field while Earlham shot 29.2 percent (19.65). The Grizzlies connected on 9-21 three pointers while the Quakers hit 3-13 from long distance.

Earlham did with the free throw battle by hitting 14-20 while Franklin nailed 7-14 free throws.

The Quakers travel to California for two games – vs. Chapman at UC Santa Cruz and the host Banana Slugs on Dec. 19 and 20 respectively. Both games are scheduled to tip off at 8 p.m.