Anderson Outlasts Franklin

The Anderson University women's basketball team faced off against the Franklin College Grizzlies (4-8, 2-3) on Saturday in a Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) showdown. Anderson (6-7, 3-3) was able to seal a 68-64 victory in O.C. Lewis Gymnasium behind a Lexi Dellinger 34-point game.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Brynn Beard recorded the first points of the contest with a 3-pointer at 7 minutes 28 seconds on the clock in the first quarter.
• Lexi Dellinger then made the Ravens next eight points. Anderson led Franklin 11-4 with 4:33 left in the quarter.
• To end the first quarter, the Grizzlies' Chelbie Anderson made a 3-pointer before Ravens freshman Allison Shaffer beat the buzzer to give Anderson a 18-11 lead.
• Franklin spent the second quarter cutting down the Ravens' lead. At 2:33 left in the quarter before halftime, Kayla Bruner hit a three to tie the game up 27-27 for the Grizzlies.
• After Bruner's shot, the Ravens didn't allow the Grizzlies another point for the remainder of the quarter. Anderson went on a 7-0 run to head into halftime with a 34-27 lead over Franklin.
• Coming out of the half, the Grizzlies would tie up the game and take the lead after going on a 10-0 run. With 6:40 on the clock in the third quarter, the Ravens trailed the Grizzlies 37-34.
• Neither team would get another basket over the next two minutes until Lexi Dellinger made a jump shot to bring the Ravens within one. Franklin quickly took back a three-point lead after Jessica Nix went down the court to make a layup. With 4:22 left in the third quarter, the Grizzlies led the Ravens 39-36.
• Anderson closed out the quarter with a 13-5 run over Franklin. Heading into the fourth and final quarter, the Ravens led the Grizzlies 49-44.
• During the fourth quarter, the Grizzlies would attempt to steal the Ravens' lead, but Anderson was able to hold strong during the final 10 minutes.
• Although the Grizzlies were applying the pressure, the Ravens were able to hold on to their composure and not let up the lead.
• Anderson's final 10 points came off of free throws, eight of which came from Lexi Dellinger. Dellinger recorded the final two points of the game off of two free throws to give the Ravens a 68-64 victory.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Anderson went 23-of-59 (39.0 percent) from the field and 16-of-18 (88.9 percent) from the free throw line during their victory.
• Franklin outrebounded Anderson by a 55-37 margin. The Grizzlies held a 24-7 advantage on offensive rebounds and outscored the Ravens 18-7 on second-chance points.
• Senior Lexi Dellinger secured 34 of the Ravens' points. Dellinger made all nine of her free throw attempts. She also contributed two rebounds, three assists, and a team-high five steals.
• Payton Moore once again earned herself a double-double with 10 points and 15 rebounds for the Ravens. The senior from Spiceland also notched three steals, three assists and a team-high four blocks.
• Off the bench, Allison Shaffer rounded out the double-digit scoring with 11 points, a career high for the freshman. Shaffer also tallied six rebounds for the Ravens.
• Senior Cassie Pallett finished with five points and a team-high four assists.

COACH JON GIN'S COMMENTS

I'm super proud of our team's win! It was a very gritty performance. They showed a lot of heart and determination and we were able to overcome adversity together! We played for our seniors [on Saturday] and they led us really well. They all played great and we couldn't have pulled out this win without their leadership and competitive fire.

UP NEXT

Anderson hits the road on Wednesday to take on the Defiance College Yellow Jackets (7-4, 2-3) in an HCAC contest. Tip-off between the Ravens and Yellow Jackets is set for 7:30 PM in Defiance, Ohio.