DELAWARE, Ohio - February 28, 2025 - Hiram gave one of the best teams in the North Coast Athletic Conference all it could handle on Friday night at Branch Rickey Arena, as the Terriers made it a 10-point margin entering the fourth quarter of what ultimately shaped out to be a 69-53 loss to second-seeded DePauw.
Hiram outscored the Tigers in the third quarter, 17-13, and hung tough in the final 10 minutes of a memorable 2025 postseason. Despite the loss, the Terriers still finished the winter campaign with their first playoff win since 1998 and a roster that had its entire rotation contributing in a big way.
Jo Janda led the way with 13 points off the bench on 5-of-7 shooting from the field and 3-of-3 shooting from beyond the arc. Isabella Caceres had 11 points and five assists, while Anastasia Lawler and Brooke Hickman wrapped up their collegiate careers with a combined 17 points.
The entire first quarter had a single-digit margin, with Hiram making it a 2-point deficit (9-7) on a 3-pointer by Lawler. The Tigers answered and ended the opening period on a 6-0 run to make it a 17-8 game.
That 6-0 run turned into 14 straight points at the start of the second quarter; Hiram stopped the run when Janda made a 3-pointer with 7:37 left in the half. The Terriers made three more 3-pointers during that span, putting the halftime score at 38-24.
Then came a second half that showed the same high level of Hiram defense from the quarterfinal round against Denison.
DePauw shot 5-of-14 (36%) in each of the last two quarters, as the interior presence of Hickman (two blocks) and the quick-handedness of Lawler, Caceres and Avril Drew (seven combined steals) kept the opposition from expanding the lead. All three of Lawler's steals came in the second half, while the Tigers only had two student-athletes make more than one field goal over the final 20 minutes of the contest.
On the offensive end, Maya Joiner and Janda combined for nearly half (13) of Hiram's 29 second-half points.
DePauw held on thanks to its depth – four different student-athletes recorded at least 10 points – and its 29 points off turnovers. By picking up the win, the Tigers now only need a win over fifth-seeded Wittenberg to punch a ticket into the NCAA Tournament.
For Hiram, the semifinal loss caps off another season of improvement in the present and promise for the future. The team will say goodbye to an incredibly accomplished group of seniors, while also looking forward to a bright future with the rest of the roster and a new conference in the PAC.
The Terriers will begin the offseason this March and start those preparations for 2025-26 in the coming months.
