GREENCASTLE, Ind. - February 5, 2022 – Hiram women's basketball fell to the 13th-ranked DePauw University Tigers on Saturday by the final score of 77-44 at Neal Fieldhouse.
 
After a cold start by both sides in the first quarter, Mya Shannon broke the seal, scoring a layup to give DePauw the early lead. Haley Thompson answered Shannon on the other end up a jumper before buckets by Maeve Summerville and Cici Bright again evened the score at 4-4 with 7:06 left in the first quarter.
 
A three by Summerville though gave DePauw the lead, and the Tigers surged ahead, extending their lead out to double digits, 17-6, with 3:32 to play in the first on a pair of free throws by Isabela Ogliore.
 
An and-one by Taylor Valaitis cut DePauw's lead back down to single digits, 18-9 with just over three minutes left in the frame, and while DePauw brought their lead back out to 12, Hiram closed the first quarter on a 4-0 run to cut the Tigers' lead to eight, 23-15 after one.
 
However, with an 8-0 run to start the second, DePauw brought their lead out to 16 and led by as many as 19 in the second quarter before taking a 43-21 lead into the halftime break.
 
The Tigers then looked to extend their lead and pull away to start the third, taking a 25-point, 46-21 lead with 7:55 left in the period, but the Terriers kept DePauw from pulling away any further.
 
Hiram closed the gap to just 20, 50-30, on Thompson's jumper with just over three minutes left in the third, and held DePauw to just 12 total points in the third quarter.
 
However, up 55-30 after three, the Tigers proceeded to pull away in the fourth quarter, taking their largest lead of the game with 2:50 to play, before finishing off the 77-44 victory.
 
Hiram drops to 6-13 (2-9 NCAC) with the loss, while the Tigers remain atop the conference at 17-2 (10-0 NCAC) with the win.
 
Thompson led the Terriers with 10 points, while Madison Branch and Cici Bright each added eight.
 
Selena Vargas led Hiram on the glass with nine rebounds, while Brach added a team-high four assists.
 
Hiram will wrap up its two-game road trip on Sunday, Feb. 6 in Springfield, Ohio with a matchup against the Wittenberg University Tigers slated for 2:00 p.m.