Lexington, Ky. – In a game with imminent postseason implications, the Transylvania women's basketball team used a dominant defensive performance to claim a 78-55 victory over the Defiance College Yellow Jackets at the Beck Center on Saturday afternoon.

With the win, Transylvania's record improved to 15-8 overall and 11-5 in Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference play. With just two games remaining in the regular season, the Pioneers maintained their hold on third place in the HCAC standings.

The Pioneers were led in scoring by junior forward Rachel Cox who scored 24 points on 9-for-14 shooting from the field. Cox also grabbed seven rebounds and blocked two shots in the Transylvania victory.

The game started off with both teams struggling to shoot from outside. The Pioneers were especially cold, as they shot 1-for-8 from three-point range in the first quarter.

Instead of shooting, the Pioneers relied on their defense to control the game from the start. Transylvania's smothering backcourt pressure forced several Defiance turnovers in just a matter of minutes, leading to an 18-9 lead for the Pioneers after one quarter of play.

Transylvania's defense continued to stifle Defiance throughout the second quarter as it forced an additional four turnovers. The Pioneers carried a 42-23 lead into the halftime break thanks to scoring 21 points off of 13 Defiance turnovers in the opening half, while only giving up four points off of turnovers

While shots weren't falling for everyone in the first half, freshman guard Shelby Boyle carried the Pioneers offensively with 14 points on 5-for-7 shooting from the field. Boyle also shot a sweltering 4-for-4 from three-point range in the in the opening half.

The Yellow Jackets' defense was clearly focused on Transylvania sophomore guard Celia Kline, who was forced to distribute the ball rather than take her normal outside shots. Kline entered Saturday's game having set a new Transylvania women's program record for most three-pointers made in a season during Wednesday's victory at Mt. St. Joseph. However, Kline finally found space with 3:50 remaining in the third quarter when she dropped her first three-pointer of the game to extend the Pioneer lead to 50-32.

The fourth quarter started off with Cox knocking down three 3-pointers in less than two minutes. This hot-shooting start sent the Pioneers on a run that extended their lead to 24 points with 3:34 remaining in the game. Transylvania eventually finished off the Yellow Jackets by the final score of 78-55.

In addition to the great defensive performance, the Pioneers also shared the ball extremely well on offense, as they recorded 21 assists on 27 made baskets in the win.

The Pioneers will return to action next Wednesday night, February 15, as they host the Franklin College Grizzlies in their final home game of the 2016-17 season. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at the Beck Center.

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