TIFFIN, Ohio - Tiffin women's basketball was able to cut a double-digit second half deficit to just two with 9:45 to play, but the visiting Malone Pioneers stopped the Dragon run and pulled away for a 79-58 win.

Neither team shot particularly well from the field, with Malone converting 41.8% of their shots and 29% from deep while Tiffin shot 33.9% from the field and 20% from beyond the arc. The Dragons got to the free throw line nine more times that the Pioneers, going 16-23 (69.6%), but Malone converted all 14 of their opportunities from the charity stripe.

Three Dragons were in double figures, led by Jasmine Watts with 12 points. Aarion Nichols and Jada Tate both added 11 points, with Nichols adding nine rebounds and Tate six boards.

After a quick flurry of shots put Malone up 7-4 early, the Dragons responded with a 14-5 run to go up 18-12 on a Jensen Hiegel and-one at the 1:23 mark of the first quarter. The Pioneers were able to quiet the run, though, putting through five quick points before the end of the period as Tiffin took a one-point lead after one.

The Dragons maintained that lead for over four minutes into the second quarter, but Malone took back the advantage with a bucket at the 5:13 mark that put the Pioneers up 27-26. Over the final five minutes, Malone outscored Tiffin 9-2 as the Pioneers took a 36-29 lead into the break.

That momentum continued into the third quarter for Malone as the visitors went up by as much as 14, 47-33, at the 3:47 mark of the period. Tiffin did not fold, though, scoring six-straight points on a Brooke Wesner layup, Nichols free throw, and Danelle Bradly triple to cut the deficit to 47-39.

Malone momentarily stopped the bleeding with an and-one to go back up by 11, but seven unanswered points including a buzzer beating three from Nichols cut the deficit to just four, 50-46, heading into the final period.

Kirsten Williams quickly cut the Pioneer lead to two with a pair of free throws, but that was as close as the Dragons would get as Malone finished the game on a 29-10 run to take the 21-point victory.

With the home slate and conference play wrapped up for December, Tiffin will travel to Purdue Northwest on Thursday for a nonconference matchup before heading into the holiday break.