North Manchester, Ind. - Manchester Women's Basketball couldn't climb all the way back on Saturday, falling 68-58 to Mt. St. Joseph in an HCAC matchup at Stauffer-Wolfe Arena.

The Spartans were locked in early, trading punches to a 13-13 tie after one quarter, but Mt. St. Joseph grabbed control in the second. Manchester managed just nine points in the period while the Lions pushed the pace, hit timely threes, and turned turnovers into points to take a 31-22 lead into halftime. MSJ's pressure showed up all afternoon, forcing 23 Manchester turnovers and scoring 19 points off those miscues.

Manchester kept battling in the second half behind a strong interior effort from Hannah Holmes, who posted 14 points and nine rebounds, while Abi Rosenkrans filled the stat sheet with eight points, seven rebounds, five assists, and four steals. Kinsey Atkins added 11 points, and Hailee Kline knocked down three triples on her way to 11 points. The Spartans made their best push in the fourth, outscoring MSJ 22-18 in the final period and cutting into the deficit with transition baskets and second-chance opportunities (Manchester finished with 14 offensive rebounds). But the Lions answered late with key free throws and a few crucial steals to keep the Spartans at arm's length.