December 11, 2010
By: Josh Bruner, sports information assistant
FRANKLIN, Indiana - The Bluffton University women's basketball team was unable to find any offensive rhythm for the second consecutive game as Franklin scored a 57-45 win over the Beavers on Saturday, December 11, 2010. Bluffton fell to 3-4 overall and 1-3 in the Heartland Conference. The Grizzlies improved to 5-3 on the season and 2-2 in the HCAC.
The teams proved to be even through the start of the game with neither squad to be able to pull away from the other. BRITTANY STEGMAIER (Garfield/Trinity) put in the first bucket for the Beavers at the 18:23 mark to tie the game at two.
Junior Brittany Stegmaier was one of two Beavers in double figures with 12 points and five rebounds. Fellow junior Rachel Daman dropped in 12 points on 3-of-4 shooting from behind the arc. She also pulled down four rebounds. Sophomore Lauren Hutton collected a game-high 12 caroms to go along with her eight markers, while senior Kim Miller pulled down nine boards.
Bluffton hit just 15-of-52 shots from the field (28.8 percent), but Franklin was not much better at 19-of-54 (35.2 percent). The Beavers struggled mightily at the line, converting only 10-of-22 freebies for 45.5 percent, while the home team cashed in on 17-of-24 attempts from the stripe (70.8 percent). Franklin finished with two more rebounds (43-41) and one less turnover (15-14) than the Beavers. The home team handed out six more dimes than Bluffton (11-5).
The Beavers return to action in one week when they host The College of Wooster on Saturday, Dec. 18. The contest is slated for 2 p.m. in Founders Hall.
-BEAVERS-