Alma College Women's Basketball hosted Defiance College (Ohio) this afternoon at Art Smith Arena, and the Scots defeated the visitors by a score of 65-48. With the win, Alma now has a record of 3-7, while the Yellow Jackets fell to 4-7 on the season.

"We set some goals for ourselves tonight and we achieved them," said Alma Head Coach Keisha Brown. "That is a sign of growth. I am pleased with the way we played offensively and with our defensive pressure. A nice win today, especially going into the holiday break."

The Scots jumped out to an early 7-0 lead and used that cushion to keep Defiance at bay for the remainder of the first half. Alma was able to maintain a steady lead and had their biggest advantage at 26-10, after Sr. G Rachel Jaksa (Mt. Pleasant, Mich./Sacred Heart) hit two free throws at the 5:32 mark.

However, the Yellow Jackets finished the first half strong, outscoring the home team by a mark of 12-4 to close the gap to 30-22 at halftime. Jr. G Danielle Hicks (Marshall, Mich./Marshall) and Fr. G Mallory Pruett (Ishpeming, Mich./Ishpeming) led the team with seven points a piece in a half that saw the Scots shoot 36% from the field (nine of 25).

The teams traded baskets early in the second half, but Alma was able to extend their lead to 41-29 on back to back three-pointers by So. G Brittany Deerfield (Gaylord, Mich./Gaylord) and Jaksa with 14:36 left in the game. The Scots continued to lead by 12, 45-33, at the 12:01 mark, when Hicks blocked a Defiance shot and took the ball all the way down the floor to score a lay-up.

Alma gained their largest lead of the game at 55-37, when So. F Bailey Gooding (Gaylord, Mich./Gaylord) scored a fast break lay-up with 6:41 left. Defiance cut the gap to 14 on a couple of occasions but could not get any closer on this afternoon, as the Scots were determined to get the victory.

Jaksa led a balanced team effort with 13 points, including three from beyond the arc. Hicks had 11 points and added six rebounds, while Pruett finished with 10 points. Fr. F Grace Wheeler (St. Ignace, Mich./LaSalle) led the squad with nine rebounds and also contributed four assists.

Alma will next play on December 29, when they travel to Indiana to take on host DePauw University.