Defiance, Ohio – The No. 2/4 Transylvania women's basketball team cruised to an 87-53 win over the Defiance College Yellow Jackets on Saturday afternoon at the Karl H. Weaner Center.

Appearing in its first game since reaching its highest ever national ranking by a major Top 25 poll at No. 2 in the country in the WBCA Top 25, the Pioneers maintained their undefeated record at 17-0 overall and 9-0 in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference.

Defiance dropped to 11-7 overall and 6-5 in conference play.

Madison Kellione led the offensive punch for Transy with a game-high 23 points off 7 for 13 shooting from the field and an 8 for 9 showing from the foul line. The junior added four rebounds in a balanced win for the Pioneers. Transy's 87 points was its second-highest output in a game this season.

Dasia Thornton fielded another efficient line of 12 points on 5 for 7 field goal shooting with two rebounds and one assist. Kennedi Stacy had 11 points and a game-high eight rebounds in spurring the Pioneers towards a double-digit win. Samantha Cornelison gave the Pioneers 11 points off the bench off of 3 for 4 made three-pointers and four rebounds.

The Pioneers deployed a pair of runs to start the first and second quarters to create early distance from the Yellow Jackets. Transylvania raced to a 7-0 lead before the Jackets got onto the scoreboard and found their footing, closing within a 14-12 deficit at the end of the quarter.

But Transylvania shot out to an 8-0 run in the second quarter, forecasting an offensive explosion that entailed a 28-point quarter. Kellione scored 11 in the quarter while Stacy caught fire to guide the Pioneers to a 42-28 halftime advantage.

The offensive proclivities continued into the second half as Stacy found Sadie Wurth in transition for a quarter-ending layup at the buzzer, capping off the second consecutive 28-point quarter en route to a 29-point Pioneer advantage. The Pioneers connected on 10 of 15 field goals in the third quarter while holding Defiance to 2 for 11 shooting from outside to put the game out of reach.

Transylvania shot 51 percent from the field and held Defiance to 34 percent shooting overall and 25 percent from downtown.

Saturday's win was Transylvania's seventh of the season in which the Pioneers won by 30 points or more.

Transylvania is next scheduled to play on Wednesday, February 9 at Mount St. Joseph University in an HCAC matchup. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. from Cincinnati, Ohio.

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