BLUFFTON, Ohio - The Bluffton University women's basketball team trailed by as many as 18 points early in the third quarter, but MSJ had to use everything left in the tank to hold off the Beavers for a 60-57 win over Bluffton on Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024. The home team fell to 3-9 overall and 1-4 in the Heartland Conference, while MSJ improved to 10-2 and 4-1 in the HCAC.
A Kayla Prigge (Hamler/Patrick Henry) jumper in the paint knotted it up at 2-2 just over 30 seconds into the game, but the Beaver offense struggle to put points on the board as it trailed 18-10 after one quarter and 33-17 at the half.
Katie Neuhart (Delaware, Ohio/Delaware Christian) sandwiched a pair of chip shots around a Rachel Clark (Lima/Bath) three ball as the Beavers trimmed MSJ's lead to 36-27 with 5:57 to play in period three. Mount St. Joseph pumped it back up to 18 before a Prigge layin and Kyla Columber (Marion/Pleasant) jumper made the score 47-34 with one quarter to play.
Two charity tosses for Lacie Fenstermaker (Leipsic/Pandora-Gilboa) and a Prigge bomb cut the deficit to eight before a seven-point Bluffton jag, that included another Prigge triple followed by a Clark steal and layup, forced an MSJ timeout with the visitors clinging to a 49-46 lead at the 6:18 mark!
The home team couldn't get it closer than three until Clark's trifecta with 10 ticks remaining pulled Bluffton within a point (58-57). MSJ followed with two made freebies and when Maddie Fitzpatrick's (Mount Gilead) triple try was just off the mark, the Lions breathed a sigh of relief with the final score 60-57 despite a 23-13 advantage for Bluffton over the final 10 minutes.
Clark equaled her career high with 16 points on a perfect 6-of-6 shooting night at the line. She also led the team-with a career-best six dimes! Neuhart notched her first career double-double with 12 points and a game-high 11 boards. Prigge added a dozen markers and three steals. Fenstermaker ripped down seven rebounds.
Bluffton hit just 18-of-62 (29.0 percent) from the field, including 5-of-15 (33.3 percent) outside the arc. The Beavers struggled at the line, knocking down only 16-of-25 (64.0 percent). The home team pulled down 14 more rebounds (52-38), but it also coughed it up six more times (22-16). MSJ dominated with 24 points of turnovers, compared to just six for the Beavers.
The Bluffton women are back in the Sommer Center on Saturday, Jan. 6, when the Beavers host Franklin College. Tip-off is slated for 1 p.m. and it will precede the men's contest with the Grizzlies.
-BEAVERS-