HIRAM, Ohio - February 4, 2023 - Taylor Valaitis, Haley Thompson and Iyana Smith were honored for their time with the Hiram women's basketball program as part of Senior Day on Saturday afternoon inside Price Gymnasium.

The team fell short to DePauw, 64-40, but the day was highlighted by a special ceremony for the veteran trio and a strong first half from the Terriers against one of the top teams in the NCAC.

Brooke Hickman led the team with 16 points, 7 rebounds and 2 blocks, while Maddie Rakestraw added 5 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists.

Hiram was within 6 points for the entirety of the first quarter and went on an 11-6 run to close the first half. The Terriers trailed 30-24 at the intermission, with Hickman scoring 4 of the team's final 5 points in the half.

The Tigers would pull away in the second half thanks to strong defensive play and a 20-point fourth quarter. They improved to 9-1 in NCAC play and 14-7 overall.

Here's a look at the careers of Valaitis, Thompson and Smith, who have each made a big impact in multiple seasons with the program.

Taylor Valaitis has played over 1,000 minutes as a member of the Hiram women's basketball program since debuting in the 2019-20 campaign. She was named team captain for the last 2 seasons and has scored over 200 points during that span. The Eastlake, Ohio native is averaging career-highs in starts, minutes, assists, rebounds, free throws made and steals this season.

Haley Thompson has been a force on both ends of the floor throughout her career with the Terriers, averaging 9.7 PPG and 2.07 SPG in 69 games played (61 starts). The Elkridge, Maryland native has a double-digit scoring average in each of the last 2 seasons – both while serving as a team captain – and recently eclipsed 400 career rebounds against Denison on Feb. 1.

Iyana Smith has played 46 games and made 9 starts in her 3 seasons with Hiram. She scored a career-high 19 points on 7-17 shooting from the field and 4-9 shooting from beyond the arc against Kenyon last season. Smith is coming off a perfect 4-4 shooting day against Ohio Wesleyan on Jan. 28. The Euclid, Ohio native began her career at Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School.

Those seniors will continue working hard through the closing stretch of their collegiate careers; Hiram will next play Oberlin on Wednesday at 6 p.m. inside Price Gymnasium.