North Manchester, Ind. - Manchester opened conference play with a strong all-around performance, surging ahead early and maintaining control in a 78–63 victory over Rose-Hulman at Stauffer-Wolfe Arena.

The Spartans came out firing, posting 25 first-quarter points and pushing the tempo with relentless pressure. Abigail Rosenkrans set the tone immediately, scoring in transition, jumping passing lanes, and knocking down shots from deep. She finished with a game-high 24 points on an ultra-efficient 10-for-12 shooting night, including 3-of-4 from beyond the arc, while also adding 4 steals.

Manchester's perimeter shooting and defensive pressure fueled a 46–21 halftime lead. The Spartans forced 18 turnovers in the first half alone and converted them into 27 points off turnovers across the game. Hailee Kline added a major spark from deep, knocking down three first-half triples and finishing with 10 points.

Inside, Manchester controlled the boards with a 41–26 advantage, highlighted by Maddi Smith's seven rebounds and Hannah Holmes' 7 points and 7 rebounds. The Spartans also dominated points in the paint (36–32) and owned the fast-break battle 23–10.

Kayla Gibbs contributed 12 points on efficient drives and mid-range pull-ups, while the Manchester bench supplied 17 important points to maintain the lead through rotation-heavy stretches.

Rose-Hulman put together its strongest effort in the fourth quarter, but Manchester's early burst and balanced scoring proved too much to overcome as the Spartans secured their first HCAC win of the season and improved to 5–1.