LEXINGTON, Ky. - The Bluffton University women's basketball team fell to #3 Transylvania University on Saturday, Dec. 10, 2022. Bluffton dipped to 5-2 overall and 1-2 in the conference, while Transy stayed perfect at 7-0 and 3-0 in the HCAC.

A Lacie Fenstermaker (Leipsic/Pandora-Gilboa) deuce knotted the score at six apiece midway through the opening stanza before eight straight points from the home team helped Transylvania to a 14-8 lead after period one.

Bluffton struggled to get its offense untracked in the second quarter and needed a Sammy Shardo (Findlay/Liberty-Benton) triple with 24 ticks remaining to pull within 37-18 at the break.

The Beavers trailed by as many as 21 points early in the second half before back-to-back Katie Neuhart (Delaware/Delaware Christian) jumpers and a Peyton Henry (Leipsic) bucket got Bluffton back within 11 at the 3:18 mark of the third quarter.

Olivia Zender (Fostoria/Hopewell Louden) hit from outside the arc late in the third, while Maddie Fitzpatrick (Mount Gilead) and Kyla Columber (Marion/Pleasant) added triples in the fourth, but the Beavers came up short (63-45) at the Beck Center on Saturday.

Neuhart finished with a career-best 10 markers for the visitors. Fitzpatrick chipped in with nine points. Lindsey Smith (Mount Victory/Kenton) and Fenstermaker led the board crew with seven and six rebounds, respectively. Zender dished out four assists.

Bluffton hit 20-of-57 from the field (35.1 percent) and held Transylvania to just 22-for-66 (33.3 percent). The Pioneers were off the mark from distance, making just 7-of-41 (17.1 percent) outside the arc. Transy ripped down seven more rebounds (43-36) and the Pioneers turned it over eight fewer times (24-16). The home team dominated in the paint (30-12) and off turnovers (28-12).

The Beavers will be off for finals this week before welcoming Anderson University for a 1 p.m. meeting next Saturday, Dec. 17.

-BEAVERS-