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Bluffton notches first HCAC victory of the season with 81-71 route of Hanover

Posted: Jan 13, 2007

January 13, 2007

BLUFFTON, Ohio - The Bluffton University women's team picked up its first Heartland Conference victory of the season with a convincing 81-71 win over Hanover College on Saturday, January 13, 2007. With the victory, Bluffton improved to 3-13 overall with a 1-6 mark in the HCAC. The Panthers fell to 2-13, 0-7 HCAC with the loss.

Freshman forward LINDSAY EBBESKOTTE (Delphos/Jefferson) caught the Hanover defense napping on out-of-bounds plays twice in the first four minutes of the game, draining two triples to give the Beavers an early 10-7 lead.

Hanover responded with an 11-0 run to open up an 18-10 advantage with 11:44 to play in the first half as Bluffton was held scoreless for nearly five minutes.

The Panthers still held a 24-16 lead with 8:39 left in the opening stanza, until senior TANYA RICKENBERG (Paulding/Paulding) got to the rack following a pair of AMANDA BELL (Napoleon/Liberty Center) makes from the charity stripe to close the gap to two points, 24-22, with just under six minutes left in the period.

Bell and ANGIE LEE (Mt. Blanchard/Vanlue) both hit two shots from the foul line late in the first half as the Beavers went into the break down, 30-26.

Rickenberg's second triple of the second half gave the Beavers their first lead since the 16-minute mark of the opening stanza and Bluffton never looked back. An old-fashioned three-point play from Lee gave the Beavers a 60-52 lead with 5:11 to play in the contest.

The Beavers converted on 18-of-21 free throws down the stretch (86 percent) as Bluffton put away the Panthers, 81-71, to secure its first HCAC victory of the 2006-07 season.

Both teams struggled from the field, but Bluffton took as many shots from the charity stripe as it did from the field, converting on 36-of-46 attempts (78 percent). The Beavers hit 7-of-19 from long distance for 37 percent while limiting Hanover to 33 percent shooting from the field (24-of-72).

Angie Lee led four Bluffton double-digit scorers with a game-high 21 points on 14-of-17 shooting from the foul line. Tanya Rickenberg and Amanda Bell put up 18 points each. LINDSAY BUSH (Howard/East Knox) added 10 points and eight rebounds while Bell also pulled down eight boards. Bell led the Beavers with four assists and Bush swatted away four Panther offerings.

Bluffton returns to action on Wednesday, January 17, 2007, when it welcomes Mt. St. Joseph, led by former Beaver Ashleigh Stallkamp, to Founders Hall for another Heartland Conference showdown. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.