FRANKLIN, IND. – A strong defensive effort, coupled with a 34-25 edge on the glass, helped lift Manchester University to a big Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference victory Wednesday, Jan. 7.

Senior center Alyssa Hammond (Osgood, Ind.) topped a group of three individuals in double figures with 13 points to go with four rebounds and two steals. Junior guard Katie Arterburn (Indianapolis, Ind.) and senior guard Alyssa Smith (Bluffton, Ind.) finished with 11 points each to help guide MU (6-6 overall, 3-2 HCAC) to a 57-45 victory over previous league unbeaten Franklin College inside the Spurlock Center on FC's campus.

The Black and Gold, having caught fire of late with three straight victories, limited the host Grizzlies to less than 35 percent overall and a 23.1 percent mark from outside the arc. They also kept themselves around the basketball throughout the 40 minutes picking up 11 steals, with junior guard Justine Kruger (Francesville, Ind.) topping the category (four), and grabbing the aforementioned 34 rebounds.

MU nearly made it a wire-to-wire lead. After Franklin opened by scoring four of the game's first five points, the visitors went on a 9-0 run and didn't trail again, opening their advantage to as much as 13.

Coach Josh Dzurick's team continues its current seven-game road stretch Saturday, Jan. 10. They face off against lone conference unbeaten and Women's Basketball Coaches Association Division III No. 19-ranked Transylvania University of Kentucky. Tip-off time is 3 p.m.

NOTES: Hammond's point total moved her into a tie for the team season average lead at 11 per game with Arterburn. She's been in double figures seven times in 12 games played … Arterburn's recent hot hand didn't show any signs of cooling off at Franklin. She buried three treys in five attempts en route to her third straight double-digit scoring contest. The junior takes an impressive stretch of three successive games with three-or-more three-pointers to Transylvania … Freshman forward Samantha Bolen (Greenwood, Ind.) enjoyed playing close to her home town with five rebounds to lead the squad. She's made solid rebounding totals a habit, having grabbed four-or-more five times … Kruger's steal total marked the seventh time she's turned in multiples in a game, while senior guard Jocelyn Hamilton (Columbus, Ind.) turned in a team-high four assists for her ninth multiple-assist game of the year.