LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Hanover Panthers hit the road taking on non-conference foe Spalding on Monday evening, falling to the Golden Eagles 94-87.
 
Hanover moves to 3-2 overall, while the Golden Eagles advance to 2-4.
 
The Panthers were paced by career performances from sophomore Addie Gardner (Anderson, Ind.) and freshman Grace Bezold (Covington, Ky.). Gardner netted 27 points, posting a 10-of-17 mark from the floor, while Bezold added a double-double with 20 points and 16 rebounds.
 
The opening stanza saw the Panthers surge ahead as a Gardner jumper pushed HC out front when Spalding responded. The Golden Eagles used a three-pointer late in the frame to claim the 19-18 advantage.
 
Spalding carried the momentum into the second quarter before a junior Keaton Chastain (Paoli, Ind.) jumper in the paint halted the soaring Eagles, cutting the deficit to 21-20. Hanover continued to battle as they were able to capture the one-point lead with just 58 seconds remaining when a Panther hiccup resulted in a pair of Spalding free throws.
 
Sophomore Reese Sexton (Louisville, Ky.) came out firing for the Panthers in the second half as she hit a deep ball that sparked a Hanover run. The Blue and Red would go on to outscore Spalding 17-15 in the period to enter the final quarter locked at 54-54.
 
However, Spalding remained poise down the stretch as they were able to push the difference to as many as 11 points before securing the non-conference victory.
 
Hanover returns to action on Saturday, December 4 when they open Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference action with Bluffton.