By: Ethan Stearns, sports information assistant
BLUFFTON, Ohio - The Bluffton University women's basketball team upped its mark to 15-8 overall and 10-7 in the HCAC after a close matchup against Manchester University on Senior Night (Tuesday, Feb 14, 2023). Manchester fell to 8-14 overall and 6-11 in the conference.
After a quick bucket from the opposing team to open up the game, senior Sammy Shardo (Findlay/Liberty-Benton) responded with a layup of her own. Katie Neuhart (Delaware/Delaware Christian) hit a jump shot at the 5:58 mark to pull her team within three. The two teams traded buckets but a jumper from Lacie Fenstermaker (Leipsic/Pandora-Gilboa) put the women ahead, 18-15, going into the second frame.
A pair of trifectas from Kyla Columber (Marion/Pleasant) and Kayla Prigge (Hamler/Patrick Henry) shot the home team out to a 24-15 lead less than a minute into the second period. Manchester did not go away, However, using a 12-2 run to take the lead by one (27-26) with 3:53 left in the half. Sophomore Olivia Zender (Fostoria/Hopewell-Loudon) and Neuhart hit four straight free throws to put the Beavers up by four, but the visitors took advantage of two freebies and an uncontested bunny in the last minute to tie the game up, 32-32, heading into the second half.
The Beavers made a great run in the third stanza, scoring 20 points while limiting the Spartans to a dozen. Maddie Fitzpatrick (Mount Gilead) finished a quick layup to start the run, followed by two straight mid-range hits from senior Morgan Smith (Arlington). Columber added another bomb to her stat sheet and then Lindsey Smith (Mount Victory/Kenton) scored a tip-in layup at the 2:51 mark. Bluffton used its stellar defense to take a 52-44 lead with 10 minutes to play.
Bluffton started the fourth slowly, allowing the visitors to go on a 10-2 run and knot the game up at 54 apiece with 4:47 remaining. Smith and Shardo both hit tough jumpers as the Beavers took a three-point lead. After Manchester went up by one with 1:41 remaining, the senior leadership of Smith and Shardo showed again, with Smith putting her team back on top after a contested score from the post before Shardo iced the cake with a pair of free throws at the nine-second mark, giving the home team a 62-59 victory on Senior Night!
Fenstermaker had an impressive showing in 28 minutes off the bench, scoring 10 points and coming down with a career-high 13 caroms for her first collegiate double-double! Smith ended the game with 12 points and Shardo with nine, giving the senior duo a combined 21 markers on the evening. Smith added six rebounds and Fitzpatrick pulled down six boards of her own. Shardo doled out a game-high four assists.
Bluffton proved to be slightly more efficient from the field, going 22-of-59 (37.3 percent), compared to a 21-for-63 (33.3 percent) night by the visitors. The rebounding game is where the Beavers showed their mettle, ripping down 54 boards while Manchester grabbed just 35! The home squad's bench played a massive role in the victory, scoring 33 points.
Bluffton hits the road for its final game of the regular season on Friday, Feb. 17, as they will kick off a doubleheader with the men's team in a conference rivalry matchup against Defiance, with tip-off slated for 6 p.m. The women will then enter the HCAC Tournament as the #5 seed, having earned a trip to either Mount St. Joseph or Anderson on Tuesday, Feb. 21, at 7:30 p.m!
-BEAVERS-
