Takayla Gadberry, sports information alumna
BLUFFTON, Ohio – The Bluffton University women's basketball team rolled to an 81-48 victory over HCAC-rival Defiance College on Wednesday, Jan. 4. The Beavers improved to 8-4 (2-3 HCAC) while the Yellow Jackets fell to 6-6 (1-4 HCAC).
Sammy Shardo (Findlay/Liberty-Benton) started off the game with a triple to give the Beavers a 3-0 lead less than a minute in. It was an offensive battle from both teams as the lead switched back and forth, then evened out at 10-10 with 4:18 on the clock. Trifectas from Maddie Fitzpatrick (Mount Gilead), Kayla Prigge (Hamler/Patrick Henry) and Kyla Columber (Marion/Pleasant) gave the home team a 21-11 lead at the end of the first.
Columber drained three more shots from a distance to start off the second quarter, pushing Bluffton's spread to 19 (32-13). The second stanza saw an offensive explosion for the Beavers who went on a 12-3 run to go into the half with a commanding 44-18 lead. Columber finished the first 20 minutes with six deep balls!
Olivia Zender (Fostoria/Hopewell Loudon) hit from beyond the arc to start off the third quarter, increasing the Bluffton lead to 29 (47-18). Peyton Henry (Leipsic) and Zender racked up six more points for the Beavers, making the score 60-26 with 3:29 left in the third. Two more Columber trifectas sent Bluffton into the final quarter up 68-28.
A 9-3 run for the Yellow Jackets cut their deficit to 36 (75-39) at the start of the fourth quarter. Defiance followed with another 7-2 run, trimming the Beaver lead to 33, but it wouldn't be enough as the good guys pulled away with an 81-48 victory.
Powering the Bluffton offense was Columber with a career-high 26 points and a new school record. She dialed long distance eight times on just nine attempts, eclipsing Shardo's mark of seven triples! Morgan Smith (Arlington) added 12 points to the board and Shardo was two off her pace with 10. Fitzpatrick and Smith led the defense, pulling down six boards apiece. Zender and Henry dished out four dimes apiece.
The Beavers outshot the Yellow Jackets, going 28-of-60 (46.7 percent), compared to 19-of-61 (31.1 percent). Bluffton also set a school record with 16 cashed triples on only 32 attempts (50 percent), while Defiance hit just 1-of-14 (7.1 percent). The home team was perfect at the charity stripe, knocking down 9-of-9 (100 percent) with the visitors 9-of-16 (56.3 percent).
Defiance tallied more points in the paint (30-20), but Bluffton rattled off 20 more points from the bench (57-37). The home team pulled down 11 more rebounds (44-33) and turned the ball over one more time (10-9).
The women are back in action on Saturday, Jan. 7, when they welcome Albion College to the Sommer Center for a non-conference tussle. Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m. Go Beavers!
-BEAVERS-
