BLUFFTON, Ohio - An 11-2 second quarter was the catalyst for the Beavers as Bluffton's women downed Manchester University 63-48 on Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2023. Manchester fell to 3-4 overall and 0-2 in the Heartland Conference, while Bluffton improved to 2-4 and 1-1 in the HCAC.
The home team trailed 7-3 when Bluffton used a 10-0 jag to go up 13-7 with 2:43 to play in the first quarter. Back-to-back bunnies by Lindsey Smith (Mount Victory/Kenton) followed by a Rachel Clark (Lima/Bath) runner and a Katie Neuhart (Delaware/Christian) chip shot put the Beavers up by six. A Lacie Fenstermaker (Leipsic/Pandora-Gilboa) layin made it 15-13 after one quarter.
Bluffton managed just 11 points in the second frame, but the defense was stifling as Manchester found the basket only one time late in the stanza and the Beavers led 26-15 at the break. Zender was the driving force, bucketing seven points with a triple and 2-of-3 shooting at the line.
Five points from Clark, including 1-of-1 outside the arc and 2-for-2 at the line paced the Beavers, but a 21-14 Manchester edge pulled the visitors within four points (40-36) heading to the final period.
The Spartans trimmed it to three points with 6:15 to play, but a hoop and harm for Neuhart and three Kayla Prigge (Hamler/Patrick Henry) freebies pushed the spread to nine (51-42) just over a minute later. Prigge's trey and a Clark layup were the daggers, making it 58-42 with two minutes on the clock. Zender got to the rack and then capped the 63-48 victory with her third triple of the night!
Zender led the way with 17 points, six rebounds and five assists. She hit 6-of-13 from the field, including 3-of-4 outside the arc. Neuhart just missed her career best with 16 points and she was only one reboud shy of her first collegiate double double! Clark was 3-of-4 from the field and the line en route to a career-high 10 points. Her eight boards doubled her career high for rebounds. She added three steals and two assists. Tamron Brinkman (Dayton/East Dayton Christian) ripped down five caroms.
Bluffton hit 20-of-54 (37 percent), including 6-of-14 (42.9 percent) from distance. The Beavers were 17-of-24 (70.8 percent) at the stripe. Bluffton finished with 13 more rebounds (42-29) and Manchester turned it over two more times (18-16).
The Bluffton women head to Anderson University for a Heartland Conference clash with the Ravens at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023.
-BEAVERS-