DePauw women hold off Hendrix, 78-70

The 15th-ranked DePauw women's basketball team never trailed, but visiting Hendrix closed a 14-point deficit to two with just over four minutes to play before the Tigers scored seven of the game's final eight points in a 78-70 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference victory over the Warriors.

DePauw guard Gretchen Haehl puts up a first-half shot over Christina Yler (53) and Wyvonne Hawkins of Hendrix. Haehl finished with 15 points.

DePauw improved to 14-3 overall and 7-0 in the SCAC with its 20th straight home win and 36th straight SCAC victory at the Neal Fieldhouse. Hendrix dropped to 10-7 overall and 4-4 in the conference.

The Tigers established as much as a 13-point lead in the first half on the way to a 42-35 advantage at the intermission. Both teams were hot from the floor in the opening 20 minutes as DePauw shot 70.4 percent and Hendrix 50 percent.

DePauw quickly extended the margin to 12 in the opening three minutes of the second half and took its biggest lead at 63-49 on Andrea Travelstead's layup with 12:24 left.

Wyvonne Hawkins' layup with 4:11 left capped a 17-6 run and trimmed the DePauw lead to 71-69. However, Gretchen Haehl and Travelstead hit layups to push the lead back to six.

Hawkins hit a free throw with 1:51 left, but Haehl knocked down two charity tosses and Kalei Lowes one as the Tigers held the Warriors without a field goal over the final four minutes.

Jenna Fernandez paced DePauw with 21, while Haehl added 15 and Travelstead finished with a career-high 11. Sarah Merkel led the Tigers with seven rebounds as DePauw held a 26-24 edge on the boards, while Katie Mathews dished out five assists.

Christina Byler led Hendrix with 20 points and six rebounds, while Hawkins and Chelsey White added 13. Samantha Clark followed with 10.

DePauw shot 64.6 percent for the game, while the Warriors finished at 50 percent.

At DePauw

Hendrix (10-7, 4-4 SCAC) -- Anderson 1-3 0-0 2, Clark 4-7 2-4 10, Braden 2-5 0-0 4, Hawkins 6-9 1-2 13, Byler 8-24 4-5 20, Mosley 0-0 0-0 0, White 6-9 0-0 13, Goss 2-2 0-0 6, Smith 1-1 0-0 2. Totals: 30-60 FG, 7-11 FT, 70 points.

DePauw (14-3, 7-0 SCAC) -- Pruzin 0-3 0-0 0, Lowes 2-4 3-4 9, Gr Haehl 6-8 2-2 15, Fernandez 10-15, 1-2 21, Marshall 2-2 3-4 7, Mathews 1-2 0-0 2, Gw Haehl 3-4 0-0 7, Figerio 1-3 0-2 2, Travelstead 5-5 1-2 11, Merkel 1-2 2-3 4. Totals: 31-48 FG, 11-19 FT, 78 points.

Next game -- DePauw hosts Millsaps at 1 p.m. Sunday.