Takayla Gadberry, sports information alumna
BLUFFTON, Ohio – The Bluffton University women's basketball team opened the 2022 McDonald's Holiday Classic with a 68-48 victory against the Bethany College Bison on Thursday, Dec. 29. The Beavers improved to 7-3 on the season while Bethany fell to 2-9.
The Beavers took control early with a 10-0 run before seven straight for the Bison made the score 10-7 with one minute to play in the first quarter. Kayla Prigge (Hamler/Patrick Henry) dropped a deuce to give the Beavers a 12-7 lead at the end of the first.
A two from Morgan Smith (Arlington) and a triple by Sammy Shardo (Findlay/Liberty-Benton) gave the home team a 17-7 advantage early in the second quarter. Prigge drained a shot from beyond the arc to increase the Beaver lead to 15 (24-9) with 6:15 left in the half. Another bucket by each team put Bluffton on top 26-11 heading into the break.
After a silent start to the second half, Smith knocked down three straight shots before a Shardo trifecta put the Beavers up 35-11 at the 6:06 mark. A 9-2 run for the home team gave them a 29-point advantage (44-15), but three quick triples for Bethany and a pair of freebies cut the Bison deficit to 20 (48-28) going into the final stanza.
The fourth quarter started off with an offensive battle but the Beavers went on a 7-0 run to push their spread up to 28 (61-33). Despite the Bison putting up 15 more points, Bluffton was able to hold on and walk away with a 68-48 victory.
Powering the Beaver offense and defense was Smith with 14 points and 10 rebounds for another double-double before she lost her tooth. Prigge and Lindsey Smith (Mount Victory/Kenton) tallied nine points apiece. Lacie Fenstermaker (Leipsic/Pandora-Gilboa), Olivia Zender (Fostoria/Hopewell Loudon) and Smith all ripped down seven boards on Thursday night.
The Beavers outshot the Bison 26-of-73 (35.6 percent), compared to 17-of-64 (26.6 percent), but Bethany was slightly better from distance with 5-of-21 (23.8 percent) shooting, compared to just 4-of-25 (16 percent) for Bluffton. The home team won the battle at the charity stripe, going 12-for-15 (80 percent) with the visitors hitting 9-of-14 (64.3 percent).
Bluffton tallied 14 more points in the paint (36-22), but the Beavers turned the ball over three more times (12-9). The good guys dominated the glass with 25 more boards (61-36), including a huge 17-5 advantage on the offensive glass.
The women will be back in action tomorrow, Friday, Dec. 30, for day two of the McDonald's Classic with a matchup against Denison University. Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m. following the Ohio Northern-Bethany clash at noon. Go Beavers!
-BEAVERS-
