The Beaver scoring started with a three-pointer by GINNY BUCKINGHAM (Bluffton) for a 3-2 lead. Buckingham added another field goal to put Bluffton up 5-2 just two minutes into the game. The Maple Leafs responded with a 7-0 run to put Goshen up 9-5 with just under 14 minutes to play in the half.

 

KIRSTIE RUNION (Cincinnati/Cin. Christian) pulled the Beavers within four after a field goal at the 12-minute mark. The scoring from both teams ceased for three minutes until an ERICA YOST three-pointer brought the Maple Leafs out of the slump. The Beavers could not add any scoring of their own until the 8:50 mark when a KATIE LORD (Toledo/Whitmer) field goal cut the deficit down to seven.

 

Goshen opened their largest lead of the half, 14 points, with just four minutes left. JENNA REYNOLDS (Logan) dialed long distance to make it a nine-point game. The teams continued to trade points as the Maple Leafs finished the half on a 4-0 run, giving them a 37-36 lead at the half way point.

 

Buckingham once again led Bluffton, as she started the half with a field goal to pull the Beavers back within nine. Yost responded with a three, putting the Maple Leafs up by 12 after a minute of action.

 

The Beavers slowly started to work their way back into the game. They brought the Goshen lead down to seven after a Reynolds field goal at the 16-minute mark. The Beavers continued to match the Maple Leafs point for point until the 13-minute mark, when Bluffton trimmed it to six after an old fashioned three-point play by KIM MILLER (Delphos/St. John's).

 

VICKI AUER (Cincinnati/Roger Bacon) put in two free throws, making it a three-point game with nine and a half minutes left in the game. The Beavers finally took their first lead since the beginning of the game following a Miller field goal, putting the Beavers up 63-62 with 6:37 left to play.

 

A SAMANTHA HAWK three-pointer put Goshen up by four with just 2:33 left in the game. The Beavers went down by six until a BETH YODER (Marshallville/Smithville) trifecta brought the Beavers back within three with under a minute to play. The Maple Leafs then knocked down four straight from the charity stripe to seal the 84-77 win over the Beavers.

 

Leading the scoring for the Beavers was senior Ginny Buckingham who put in 22 points, including a perfect 9-for-9 from the line and 6-of-8 from the field, with seven rebounds. Following right behind was Miller who added 19 points and 10 boards for her sixth career double-double. Yoder added 13, going 3-of-8 from behind the arc. The Beavers shot 25-of-54 (46.3 percent) for the game, 20-for-30 (66.7 percent) from the charity stripe and 7-of-22 (31.8 percent) from outside the arc. The Beavers pulled in 26 rebounds for the game, six fewer than Goshen.

 

Yost dominated the game as she put up 30 points with 11 assists for a double-double, going 15-of-16 from the line. CASSIE GREIVES was next for the Maple Leafs with 14 points and nine boards. ERICA EMANUEL chipped in with 12 points. Goshen ended the game going 27-of-56 (48.2 percent) from the field, 6-of-14 (42.9 percent) from three-point land and 24-of-32 (75.0 percent) at the line.

The Beavers jump back into action again on Tuesday, December 22, when they travel to Heidelberg. The contest is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.