The Beavers started slowly, failing to score until the 16:44 mark with a BECKY RUBLE (Grover Hill/Wayne Trace) deep ball to tie the game at three. The teams continued to trade scores, as GINNY BUCKINGHAM (Bluffton) knotted the game at seven after five and a half minutes of play. The Ravens responded by taking a four-point lead (11-7) after consecutive TIFFANY BOWSHER layups. Bluffton matched the run and put in four straight to tie the game again at 11 with 11 minutes left in the half.

           

Anderson showed their offense with a quick 8-2 rally, putting the Ravens up 19-13 with just over eight minutes of play left in the stanza. Bluffton got to within one possession thanks to a JENNA REYNOLDS (Logan) three-pointer. The teams continue to trade points as the Ravens took a five-point lead with just two minutes left in the half. The Beavers rose to the occasion with an 8-0 spurt, finished by another Ruble trifecta, to give them a 30-27 lead going into the half.

 

Bluffton continued to build on their lead to start the second half, taking a seven-point lead four minutes in following three KIM MILLER (Delphos/St. John's) free throws. The Ravens did not put up their first points of the period until LAUREN LEISURE nailed a jumper at the 13:41 mark. They pulled within three with 13 minutes left after another Bowsher layup.

 

Buckingham dropped in four quick points off two shots to push the Beavers back out to a seven-point lead with only 12 minutes remaining in the game. The Ravens responded with several layins, holding Bluffton to only two free throws from KIRSTIE RUNION (Cincinnati/Cin. Christian). The teams traded points for the next six minutes, as the Beavers opened a three-point lead with a Buckingham layup at the 6:19 mark.

 

The Beavers still led by four points with just under three minutes left to play following a pair of Buckingham makes from the stripe. However, Anderson answered the call, going on a 9-1 run thanks to three consecutive Lauren Leisure triples over a 1:16 span. The Beavers made it a two-point game (60-58) after a Ruble three with 18 seconds left, but four Raven free throws sealed the 64-58 Anderson victory.

 

The Beavers' scoring was evenly distributed, as Bluffton placed three in double digits. Leading the team was Miller with 13, going 7-of-11 from the charity stripe. Ruble and Buckingham each added 11 of their own. Ruble went 3-for-7 from behind the arc, while Buckingham finished 4-of-6 from the field, pulled down eight boards and came up with four steals. Miller added five assists in the loss.

 

The Ravens' offense was led by Allen East product Tiffany Bowsher with 19, followed by Leisure with 16 and ELLEN THOMPSON with 11. The Ravens starters accounted for 59 of their 64 points.

 

Bluffton hit 20-of-44 (45.5 percent) from the field, compared to 21-of-45 (46.7 percent) for Anderson. The Beavers were 12-of-19 (63.2 percent) from the charity stripe, while the Ravens hit 17-of-25 (68.0 percent). The Beavers drained one more triple than their opponents (6-5) and pulled down 26 rebounds, while the Ravens hauled in 32. The teams each turned the ball over 18 times.

The Bluffton University women's team will travel to Franklin on Saturday, December 12. The contest is slated to start at 3 p.m.

 

-BEAVERS-