Box Score Hanover, IN (Collier Arena) - The Hanover College women's basketball team hosted the Asbury University Eagles tonight in their third game of the 2024-25 regular season.

Scoring began immediately after the tip as the ball fell right to Panther senior guard Kady Clancy who converted an uncontested lay-up. The Panthers kept it close early, despite Asbury's immediate full-court press and Kady Clancy was able to tie it at nines with six and a half left in the first quater. The Eagles eventually took a two point lead before closing out the quarter.

Asbury came out with even more intensity in their press in the second, and went on to have their best quater of the night. The Eagles jumped out to a ten point lead at 27 to 17 with eight minutes to go in the half. Asbury maintained their lead the rest of the way, outpacing the Panthers with their suffocating full-court defense, and the Panthers trailed by eleven at the half 31 to 42.

After the break, HC opened the second half with a six to two run over the Eagles and looked to be clicking again offensively. Hanover continued to find success in through their downhill halftime adjustments, and had closed the gap to just two points (47-49) with still four and a half minutes to go in the third quater. The Panthers immediately seized the lead on their next possession with a three from senior guard/forward Katherine Benter. Asbury kept in close and tied it up, trading baskets in the ladder half of the quater, and eventually took the lead back at 54 to 52, with two minutes left in the third. Tied up at 55-55, Kate Benter would green her second three of the quater in a clutch moment as time expired in the quarter, putting the Panthers up three 58 to 55.

Junior guard Alexis Wines entered the fourth quater with a defensive agenda, instantly stealing the ball on the in-bound and converting a lay-up, then grabbed three more steals in a matter of two or three minutes that inevitably lead to buckets for the Panthers, helping widen the score gap now 64-55 HC. Down the stretch senior forward Grace Bezold would do what she does best (and what she'd been doing all night long) and put the ball in the basket, ensuring the Panthers could walk away with the win - Bezold finished with 31 points, and HC won 77 to 73.

Hanover outpaced Asbury in the following Team Stat categories:
Fast Break Points - HC 10 | AU 2
Points in the Paint - HC 40 | AU 36
Shooting Percentage - HC 49.2% | AU 35.1%
3-point Percentage - HC 28.6% | 23.3%

Statistical Standouts for the Panthers from tonight's game include:
Grace Bezold - 31 Pts | 11 Reb | 3 Ast
Katherine Benter - 20 Pts | 9 Reb | 1 Ast
Alexis Wines - 10 Pts | 5 Reb | 6 Stl

HC's next game is another home contest where the will host HCAC opponent Anderson University. Tip-off is set for 7:00PM EST on Tuesday November 19th in Collier Arena.