RICHMOND, Indiana – Hanover College's 8-0 run in the first quarter broke open a tied game and the visiting Panthers went on to defeat Earlham College women's basketball, 70-52, in a Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference matchup on Saturday at the Druley Performance Gym.

THE BASICS

Final Score: Hanover 70, Earlham, 52
Location: Richmond, Indiana – Druley Performance Gym
Records: Earlham 5-16, 4-10 HCAC / Hanover 14-6, 13-1 HCAC

HOW IT HAPPENED

With the score tied 10-10 in the first quarter after a strong early showing by the Earlham Quakers, four different Hanover players scored points in an 8-0 Panther surge lasting just over two minutes. That allowed Hanover to hold a 22-13 lead after the first 10 minutes of play.

Hanover extended its lead to 35-23 by the end of the second quarter, as a four-minute Earlham scoring drought allowed the Panthers to score eight unanswered points.

Earlham showed more spark in the second half. The Quakers used a 10-2 run over a nearly four-minute span to cut a 14-point deficit down to six points, 41-35, following a Kayla Bowling 3-pointer with 3:47 left to play in the frame – one of two she drained during the surge. Cambie Poole also connected from long range during the Earlham run. The Quakers stalled at 35 points, however, and the Panthers scored the next eight points to extend their lead to 13, 48-35.

The Quakers were unable to catch the Panthers in the final quarter, as Hanover extended its lead to 19 points twice during the frame.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

Senior Zoe Curtis led Earlham with 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the field, while senior Amy Weisner chipped in with 11 points. Bowling finished with nine points while grabbing a team-high six rebounds.

Acacia Tenette dished out a team-high five assists.

Hanover's Alexis Nall amassed 27 points on 11-of-15 shooting from the floor and hauled down a game-high seven rebounds. Katie Hartman and Kristin Mills were each in double figures with 15 and 10 points respectively.

WHAT'S NEXT

Earlham women's basketball plays game three of its four-game home stand on Wednesday, Feb. 12, when the Quakers host Defiance College. Tip-off is slated for 7:30 p.m.