North Manchester, Ind. - Manchester nearly completed a dramatic fourth-quarter comeback but came up just short in a 57–55 loss to Transylvania on Wednesday afternoon at Stauffer-Wolfe Arena.

The Spartans trailed for much of the afternoon but stayed within striking distance before erupting for 23 points in the fourth quarter. Manchester entered the final period down seven and used a surge fueled by defensive stops and interior scoring to make it a one-possession game in the closing minutes.

Hannah Holmes delivered a dominant performance in the paint, finishing with a game-high 23 points on 11-of-15 shooting while pulling down 11 rebounds for a double-double. Her efficiency around the rim anchored Manchester offensively and kept the Spartans within reach throughout the contest. Kayla Gibbs added seven points, five rebounds, two steals, and a block, while Hailee Kline chipped in seven points and three assists.

Defensively, Manchester forced 19 turnovers and matched Transylvania with 34 points in the paint. The Spartans also won the rebounding battle, 37–31, generating multiple second-chance opportunities that helped spark their late run. Despite the strong finish, Manchester was unable to fully erase the deficit created during the second and third quarters.

Manchester moves forward encouraged by its resilience and late-game execution, showing the ability to compete deep into conference play against one of the HCAC's top teams.