February 2, 2017
BLUFFTON, Ohio - Heartbreaking losses to rival Defiance and Rose-Hulman have the Bluffton University women looking to rebound when they tee it up with Transylvania University and the Yellow Jackets over the next week. The Beavers have a one-game edge over both Transy and Defiance for second place in the Heartland Conference, two games off Rose-Hulman's pace with just five to play.
Transylvania has dominated the all-time series with Bluffton to the tune of a 28-5 advantage, however, three of Bluffton's five victories have come in the last four meetings. The Beavers knocked Transy out of the HCAC tournament in the semifinals last season and followed that up with a convincing 67-44 win at the Beck Center in December. Transylvania has won 12 of its 15 games since that Bluffton victory but two of those losses came at the hands of HCAC frontrunner Rose-Hulman.
Rival Defiance College has piled up a 71-18 spread in the all-time series, but the Beavers have won five of the last six meetings. The Yellow Jackets hung around and stung Bluffton, 79-75, in double overtime when the two teams hooked up in the Sommer Center two weeks ago. Senior Kesley Tietje, a four-year starter for Defiance, became the all-time leader rebounder for the Jackets on a night in which she went for 24 points and 19 rebounds. The win over Bluffton ignited a five-game winning streak for Defiance and has the Yellow Jackets in the top four of the Heartland Conference.
The Beavers have three of the top seven scorers in the Heartland Conference. Junior MACEY SHEERER (Bucyrus) is third with 14.5 PPG and her 84.0 FT percentage (110-131) is also second in the conference. She is moving up the all-time lists at Bluffton with 524 career rebounds (11th) and 955 points (11th). Also cementing her mark in record books is senior RACHEL BEINING (Ottoville). The four-year starter in the post is the all-time leading rebounder with 737 career boards and she recently eclipsed 1,000 counters as a Beaver! Beining, who jumped to 4th all-time Wednesday night with 1,061 points, is averaging 12.8 PPG and 7.7 RPG (3rd HCAC) while her 38 blocks are 2nd in the HCAC and her 51.1 FG percentage is 2nd in the conference.
Junior KAYCEE ROWE (Harrod/Allen East) leads the HCAC and is currently 10th in the NCAA Division III with an 88.0 free throw percentage (66-of-75). Her 3.4 assists per game are 3rd in the conference while her 2.4 steals per game are 2nd in the HCAC. Freshman TJ MILLS (Dayton/Chaminade-Julienne) gets the Beavers into the offense with 3.0 APG (6th in the HCAC), but she is even more valuable on the other end by keeping the opposition from getting comfortable with the ball. Junior ABIGAIL O'DONNELL(Arcanum) has given the Beavers a mid-range scoring threat, contributing 6.3 PPG to go along with her 5.8 RPG (10th in the HCAC).
The Beavers are 3rd the Heartland Conference with 67.1 PPG and the defense is a stout 2nd at 54.0 PPG, giving Bluffton the second-best average margin of victory (13.1 PPG) in the HCAC. The women have been solid at the free throw line, converting 317-of-452 (70.1 percent) which is second in the Heartland Conference. Sheerer, Rowe and BREANNA GRAHAM (Springboro) are all hitting over 83 percent, combining for 191-of-224 (85.3 percent) at the stripe.
-BEAVERS-