By Bill Hanefeld Jr., sports information director
November 19, 2005
The Bluffton University women's basketball team faced off against a tough Ohio Valley squad in the consolation game of the Muskingum College Memorial Tournament and fell by a final score of 96-73. Bluffton traded baskets with Ohio Valley in the first half as it shot 43 percent (15-35) from the field but the Ohio Valley depth wore the Beavers down as the Fighting Scots pulled away in the final stanza.
The Beavers trailed 14-12 early in the first half until senior Karin Schaller (Arlington/Arlington) hit two quick shots to put Bluffton on top by a basket. A Sarah Bruner (Wauseon/Pettisville) layup at the 5:43 mark of the first half tied the game at 31. The Fighting Scots retaliated with back-to-back treys to open up a six-point advantage. Bluffton closed to within two points (40-38) when sophomore Angie Lee (Mt. Blanchard/Vanlue) scored off an Ashleigh Stallkamp (Paulding/Paulding) miss, but that was as close as the Beavers would get to Ohio Valley as the Scots took a five-point advantage into halftime.
The opening minutes of the second half proved to be the difference in the game as Ohio Valley outscored the Beavers 20-8 to open up a 63-46 advantage with 15:33 to play. Bluffton scored the next eight points, including a pair of baskets by junior point guard Tanya Rickenberg (Paulding/Paulding), to close to within nine points early in the second half. Balanced scoring, 11 Fighting Scots found the basket including a game-high 22 points put up by Britany Brooks, was the key as Bluffton struggled to stop Ohio Valley in the second half.
The Beavers shot 40.8 percent (26-65) from the field for the game while the Fighting Scots countered with 45.2 percent (33-73). Ohio Valley scorched the nets from behind the three-point arc knocking down 7-14 shots for the game (50 percent). The Scots also applied pressure to the Beavers on the defensive end as they recorded 16 steals in the contest. Rickenberg led the Beavers with 17 points on six of 12 shooting. She also paced Bluffton with eight rebounds and three steals and finished with four assists. Amanda Bell (Napoleon/Napoleon), who finished the weekend with 11 points and 11 rebounds, was named to the All-Tournament Team. Bruner hit double digits in the scoring column for the second consecutive game as she ended the afternoon with 10 points and four rebounds. Lindsay Bush (Howard/East Knox) hit four of her five shots from the field to finish with 11 points.
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Bluffton returns to action on Tuesday, November 22 at 6 p.m. when it welcomes Oberlin College to Founders Hall for the 2005 home opener.
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