HIRAM, Ohio - January 28, 2023 - A slow start put Hiram in a tough spot, but the Terriers fought back and outscored their opposition, 32-31, in the second half of a 66-47 loss to Ohio Wesleyan on Saturday afternoon at Price Gymnasium.

It was a balanced day for the Hiram offense, with eight different players tallying at least 4 points and seven different players recording at least 1 steal. Jocelyn Janda had a team-high 10 points off the bench, with Iyana Smith adding a season-high 8 points on 4-4 shooting.

The Terriers outscored the Battling Bishops in bench points, 29-10. Ohio Wesleyan had 23 points off turnovers and 46 points in the paint in the NCAC affair.

A defensive press made it difficult for Hiram to get some early momentum in the first half; the team earned trips to the free-throw line and battled hard in the paint, but a strong scoring performance from Alyssa Griner made the first-half deficit 35-15.

The second half featured the defense of Brooke Hickman and Haley Thompson; Hickman held her ground in the paint while Thompson had active hands in the passing lanes to earn herself another 4-steal game. Kelsie Gaiser also added a block in the frontcourt.

Janda scored all 10 of her points in the second half, 7 of which came in the fourth quarter. The 10-point game was her first double-digit scoring performance since Dec. 3 against Mount Aloysius (12 points).

Smith had perfect touch in the post, too, finding open lanes and cutting to the hoop for high-percentage shots. Her defense kept the Battling Bishops offense at bay for much of the second half.

Lauren Denison had 14 points and Kasey Schipfer – the leading scorer in the NCAC – had 12 points to pair with Griner's team-high 18 points.

Hiram will travel to Granville, Ohio and face Denison on Wednesday at 6 p.m. for their next matchup.