NO. 1 PIONEERS ADVANCE IN HCAC TOURNAMENT WITH DOMINANT SECOND HALF

LEXINGTON, KY - No. 1 seed Transylvania University rolled past No. 8 seed Hanover College 70-48 Saturday afternoon in the quarterfinals of the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament inside the Clive M. Beck Center.

The matchup was tight early, with Hanover keeping things competitive through the first half. But after the break, Transylvania completely took control.

The Pioneers exploded in the third quarter, outscoring Hanover 24-4. Transy shot 7-of-9 from the field during the stretch and knocked down 6-of-7 from beyond the arc, breaking the game wide open. The defensive pressure also turned up, forcing turnovers and turning them into transition opportunities.

Riley Flinn led the way with 17 points, draining five three-pointers off the bench. Sierra Kemelgor added 16 points, while Chloe McKnight contributed 12 points and seven rebounds. Transylvania finished with 13 made threes and 29 bench points in a balanced team effort.

Defensively, the Pioneers forced 22 turnovers and converted them into 31 points, wearing down the Panthers in the second half.

With the win, No. 1 Transylvania advances to the HCAC Tournament semifinals and will face the winner of the matchup between Berea College and Mount St. Joseph University.

The top-seeded Pioneers continue to build momentum as they pursue another conference championship.

by Austin Stuckey, The Stable

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Athlete Pictured: (G) Riley Flinn Photo Credit: Dalton Christopher, Transy Athletics