TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - The Bluffton University women's basketball team ran into a buzzsaw at Terre Haute on Saturday, Jan. 20, falling to Rose-Hulman by a final score of 67-41. Bluffton slipped to 5-12 overall and 3-7 in the Heartland Conference, while RHIT improved to 9-8 and 6-4 in the HCAC.

A pair of Maddie Fitzpatrick (Mount Gilead) buckets sandwiched around a Lacie Fenstermaker (Leipsic/Pandora-Gilboa) layin put Bluffton up 8-7 with 1:40 to play in the first quarter. Rose responded with six quick points over the final 1:11, making it 13-8 after period one.

The Beavers were on the wrong end of a 21-6 second quarter and RHIT continued its onslaught with a 14-10 edge in the third stanza, opening a comfortable 48-24 lead heading to the fourth period.

Fitzpatrick and Katie Sims (Perrysburg) hit back-to-back triples early in the final quarter, pulling the Beavers within 18 and a pair of Madison Brown (Montpelier/North Central) freebies had the deficit at 16 points. Freshman Mira Horvath (Defiance) converted a hoop and harm with 28 ticks remaining, but Rose was too much as the Engineers finished off their 67-41 victory.

Leading the Beavers with nine points on 3-of-9 shooting was Fitzpatrick. Sims and Katie Neuhart (Delaware/Delaware Christian) added six points apiece. Rachel Clark (Lima/Bath) pulled down a team-high seven rebounds.

Bluffton managed just 15-of-54 (27.8 percent) shooting from the field. The Beavers were 2-of-14 (14.3 percent) from distance and 9-of-13 (69.2 percent) at the line. Bluffton pulled down three more rebounds (41-38), but the visitors turned it over 11 more times (25-14).

The Bluffton women travel to Earlham College for a 7 p.m. matchup with the Quakers on Wednesday, Jan. 24.

-BEAVERS-