The Beavers failed to score until the 17:58 mark when BRITTANY STEGMAIER(Garfield/Trinity) broke the ice with a jumper to tie the game at 2-2. Defiance responded with a JACQUELYN LITLE three-pointer, pushing the Yellow Jackets back into the lead. The Yellow Jackets took a six-point lead with just under 15 minutes to play in the half. Stegmaier added another bucket to pull the Beavers within four.

 

Defiance went on a 5-0 run to make the score 19-10 with 10:44 remaining in the half. RACHEL DAMAN (Defiance/Tinora) knocked down a jumper, but the Yellow Jackets responded with a 6-0 spurt over the next two minutes to give Defiance its largest lead of the night, 25-12. A Stegmaier three-ball pulled Bluffton within 10 points.

 

Bluffton's offense again went on hiatus as Defiance opened a 33-15 margin with 4:44 left in the half. The Beavers slowed the onslaught with four quick points from VICKI AUER(Cincinnati/Roger Bacon).

 

With Bluffton down 42-30 to open the second stanza, Defiance once again dialed up the offense as the Jackets went up 51-34 with 17 minutes remaining in the game. KIRSTIE RUNION(Cincinnati/Cinc. Christian) added a layup before Defiance opened a lead of 18 with just 14 minutes on the clock.

 

The Beavers pulled to within 10 (60-50) following an old fashioned three-point play from Stegmaier with 12 minutes to play. The Yellow Jackets answered with two MANDIE WHITEfree throws which made the score 67-52 midway through the half.

 

The Beavers slowly cut into lead, and they finally trimmed it to single digits with a GINNY BUCKINGHAM (Bluffton) free throw. Hoops by KIM MILLER (Delphos/St. John's) and Brittany Stegmaier kept Bluffton within nine, but Defiance nailed eight free throws down the stretch to capture the contest by a final score of 83-71.

 

The Beavers' leading scorer was sophomore Brittany Stegmaier who netted a career-high 23 points, going 3-of-8 from behind the arc. Next in the scoring column was Kim Miller with 14. Miller also pulled down nine rebounds for the Beavers. Buckingham added 10 and Auer chipped in with eight tallies.

 

The Yellow Jackets' offense was led by Mandie White with 28 points on 9-of-11 shooting from the field. TASHA STUCKE helped the cause with 12 and Litle chipped in with 10. The Beavers finished the game going 24-of-60 (40.0 percent) from the field, 5-for-16 (31.3 percent) from the three-point line and 18-of-25 (72.0 percent) from the line. Defiance went 23-of-59 (39.0 percent) from the field, 8-for-23 (34.8 percent) from behind the arc and a superb 29-of-37 (78.4 percent) at the line.

 

 

The Bluffton University women's team will host HCAC foe Transylvania this Saturday, January 23, in the first game of a Hall of Fame Day doubleheader with the men. The contest is slated for 2 p.m. in Founders Hall.