TIGER WOMEN WIN SEVENTH STRAIGHT; SNAP FRANKLIN'S HOME CONFERENCE WIN STREAK
FRANKLIN, IND.-Tiger women's basketball coach Kris Huffman knows it wasn't her teams' best performance, but she'll take it as the Tigers won for the seventh straight time, 74-66 at Franklin. The win also lifted the Tigers' overall record to 11-2 which is the best ever at this point in a DePauw season. Franklin fell to 1-10 on the season in both teams' first Indiana Collegiate Athletic Conference contest. The loss was also snapped the Grizzlies' 24-game home win streak in ICAC contests.
The Tigers trailed briefly 3-0 before scoring 10 straight to take a 10-3 lead just four minutes into the game. Senior center Jenn Hein (Waterloo, Iowa/West) scored six of those points. The Tigers still held a 25-21 lead with 4:27 left in the half, but Franklin got hot. Erin Housand nailed a three, followed by a Mandy Hassman jumper and a trey from Kelly Puckett to give the hosts a 29-25 lead. Franklin went to the break with a 35-31 advantage after shooting 48 percent from the floor and nailing five three-pointers. The Tigers, meanwhile, connected on just 39 percent from the floor.
In the early stages of the second half, Franklin couldn't extend that four-point cushion, but the Tigers gained the lead just once in the first eight minutes. Ann Hall's (Fr., Bourbon/Triton) three-pointer with 7:11 left and the score knotted at 56, started the Old Gold on a 7-0 run and put the Tigers in control. DePauw sealed the game with seven-of seven free throw shooting in the final four minutes.
Hall led the Tigers with 21 points followed by Susan Bender with 17 and Jenn Hein's season-high 14. Hein also led the Tigers on the boards with eight rebounds. Kelly Puckett led Franklin with a career high 24 points.
The Tigers stay in ICAC play with a Tuesday contest with Hanover (6-7,1-0). Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. at the Neal Fieldhouse. Hanover opened ICAC play on Saturday with a The gave the Tigers a 59-56 lead which they would not relinquish the rest of the way.