Free Throw Line And 4th Quarter Drought Topple Tiffin

Ali Schirmer led the way offensively for Tiffin, scoring 18 points on 7 of 16 shooting from the field.
Ali Schirmer led the way offensively for Tiffin, scoring 18 points on 7 of 16 shooting from the field.

The Tiffin University women's basketball team fell to Seton Hill University 77-66 in Salem, West Virginia. The free throw line proved costly for Tiffin as they were outscored 29-15 from the charity stripe, including Seton Hill's 10 for 10 performance from the stripe in the final minute of the game. 

The Dragons, having played yesterday, got off to a slow start offensively in the 1st quarter, scoring only four points in the first six minutes of action. Meanwhile, Seton Hill managed to reach 10 points in the same amount of time, but that was about to change. Tiffin finished the quarter on a 9-3 run to tie the score 13-13 at the end of the quarter.

The Dragons kept the train rolling in the 2nd quarter, scoring the first four points of the period to lead 17-13. Tiffin continued to hold the Griffins at bay, leading 26-21 with 04:43 left before halftime. But Seton Hill charged back, and with a 6-0 run took a 27-26 advantage with 03:38 remaining. The Griffins maintained their slight lead until the halftime horn and headed to the locker room ahead 33-31.

The 3rd quarter was neck-and-neck as Tiffin and Seton Hill traded buckets for the vast majority of the period. Neither team was able to hold a lead greater than three points, but the Dragons were able to outscore Seton Hill 22-20 to send the game to the final quarter tied at 53-53.

The first three minutes of the 4th quarter gave most the indication it was going to be a game that came down to the last possession, but that wasn't the case. With the score tied 55-55, Seton Hill used a 12-2 run over the course of four minutes of game time to hold a 67-57 lead. Tiffin eventually came out of their offensive funk and closed the gap, pulling to within four points at 67-63 after a pair of Kiley May free throws with 83 seconds remaining. The Griffins showed their poise over the final minute of action, finishing 10 for 10 from the stripe in the final 60 ticks, while Tiffin went 1 for 4 from the field and committed three turnovers in the final 75 seconds of the game as the Dragons fell 77-66.

The free throw line disparity proved to be one of the big factors in Tiffin's loss as the Dragons were outscored 29-15 at the stripe. Turnovers didn't help Tiffin's cause as the Dragons committed 15 miscues leading to 16 Seton Hill points.

Individually, Ali Schirmer paved the way with 18 points on 7 of 16 shooting from the field. Annie Santucci was the only other Dragon to score in double digits, netting 11 points off the bench. 

The Dragons fall to 3-7 overall.