By Bill Hanefeld Jr., sports information director
December 21, 2005
BLUFFTON, Ohio - The Bluffton University women's basketball team dropped to 2-7 on the season with its 60-47 loss at Thomas More College in Kentucky on Wednesday, December 21, 2005. The Beavers held Thomas More to 35 percent shooting for the game but the Saints knocked down 5-13 treys (39 percent) in the second half to hold off Bluffton and improve to 7-4.
Points were at a premium in the early minutes of the game as Bluffton fell behind 7-2 with 16 minutes to play in the first half when BROOK WARNER hit a layup for the Saints. Junior guard TANYA RICKENBERG (Paulding/Paulding) sliced the Thomas More lead to one (9-8) when she hit a jumper at the 12 minute mark. Cold shooting by the Beavers forced Coach Shutler to call a timeout three and a half minutes later after ALEX GEE hit a long range trifecta to give the Saints a 17-9 lead. Following the timeout, sophomore LINDSAY BUSH (Howard/East Knox) hit from in close and sophomore AMANDA BELL (Napoleon/Liberty Center) dialed long distance to trim the gap to three points with seven minutes to play in the half. The Saints continued to roll as they opened up a 10-point advantage with three and a half minutes in the opening stanza before Rickenberg knocked down a triple to start the Beaver comeback. Rickenberg and ANGIE LEE (Mt. Blanchard/Vanlue) combined for six points in the waning moments of the first half to help the Beavers claw their way back into the contest as they went into the break down by only four (29-25).
Lee opened the second half with a long range triple to trim the Thomas More advantage to one. The teams combined for only two baskets over the next six minutes before a Warner three-pointer put the Saints up by five (35-30) with 13 and a half minutes in the game. The Saints continued to hit from the outside as two Gee triples left the Beavers reeling and down by 11 (43-32) at the seven minute mark of the second half. A KARIN SCHALLER (Jenera/Arlington) layup pulled the Beavers to within seven (43-36), but that was as close as Bluffton would get. Thomas More outscored the Beavers 17-11 over the final five minutes of the contest to secure the 60-47 victory.
Lee paced the Beavers with 15 points and three assists. Rickenberg finished in double digits as she tallied 13 points on 6-12 shooting from the field. Freshman SARAH BRUNER (Wauseon/Pettisville) led the Beavers with eight rebounds in limited action due to an injury sustained in the Denison contest. Bush tied her career-high with five blocks in the game.
Bluffton returns to action on Wednesday, December 28, 2005 when it hosts Case Western Reserve University. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.