CINCINNATI, Ohio - The Bluffton University women's basketball team dropped a 58-49 decision at Mount St. Joseph on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024. Bluffton dipped to 8-16 overall and 6-11 in the Heartland Conference, while MSJ improved to 20-4 and 13-4 in the HCAC.
The home Lions went out to a quick 9-2 lead before freshman Rachel Clark (Lima/Bath) drained a trifecta at the 6:08 mark of quarter one. Buckets by Lindsey Smith (Mount Victory/Kenton) and Olivia Zender (Fostoria/St. Wendelin) kept the Beavers within four (13-9). Kyla Columber (Marion/Pleasant) snapped a three-minute dry spell, making it 15-11 MSJ after one period.
Mount St. Joseph struggled to score for much of the second frame and when Maddie Fitzpatrick (Mount Gilead) followed a Tamron Brinkman (Dayton/East Dayton Christian) jumper with a basket of her own, the game was knotted up at 21 apiece. However, the Lions roared back with eight straight points over the final 2:18, making it 29-21 at the half.
Both teams managed only 13 points in the third quarter, with four apiece from Smith and Kayla Prigge (Hamler/Patrick Henry), as MSJ took a 42-34 lead into the final stanza.
Zender cashed in from outside the arc to open the fourth quarter, but the Lions responded with a 12-2 spurt that effectively iced the game as MSJ led 54-39 with 3:32 to play. Prigge and Zender both dialed long distance before Zender's steal and deuce trimmed the deficit to five points (54-49), but time ran out with MSJ holding on for the 58-49 victory which capped its season sweep.
Leading the Beavers with 14 and 11, respectively, were Zender and Prigge. Smith and Lacie Fenstermaker (Leipsic/Pandora-Gilboa) both ripped down seven boards on Tuesday night. They also blocked two shots apiece.
Bluffton hit just 20-of-65 (30.8 percent) from the field, including 4-of-17 (23.5 percent) beyond the arc. The Beavers also struggled to a 5-of-12 (41.7 percent) night at the line. The visitors pulled down five more rebounds (47-42), but they also turned it over three more times (19-16).
The women will look to punch their ticket to the HCAC tournament when they host Defiance College on a rare Friday night of basketball in the Sommer Center. Tip-off is slated for 6 p.m. on February 16. It is the final time DC and Bluffton will tangle as Heartland Conference foes. Bluffton needs a win over Defiance and a Manchester victory over Anderson to secure a tourney berth.
-BEAVERS-