Posted: Jan 15, 2011
January 15, 2011
By: Brandy Bidlack, sports information assistant
BLUFFTON, Ohio - The Bluffton University women's basketball team knocked off Heartland Conference rival Earlham College 60-40 on Saturday, January 15, in Founders Hall. Bluffton improved to 6-9 overall and 3-5 in the HCAC. Earlham dropped to 0-8 in the conference and 0-15 on the season. The Quakers' 40 points marked a season-low for the Bluffton defense.
Layins from RACHEL DAMAN (Defiance/Tinora) and BRITTANY LEWIS(Springfield/Shawnee) gave Bluffton the quick 4-0 edge. However, Earlham retaliated with a 14-3 rally that the Beavers finally slowed with a BETH YODER (Marshallville/Smithville) triple midway through the first half.
The Beaver offense kicked in as the home team took back the lead at the 8:13 mark with a BRITTANY STEGMAIER (Garfield/Trinity) trey (17-16). The Beavers kept control as Yoder sank another three-pointer with four seconds remaining, giving Bluffton the five-point lead, 32-27, going into halftime.
Lewis ignited the offensive fuse with a layup just over a minute into the second stanza. An old-fashioned three-point play from Stegmaier gave the home team a double-digit lead (37-27) at the 18:14 mark.
The visitors pulled within six, but three Beaver trifectas squashed the run as the home team led 53-38 at the nine-minute mark. Bluffton kept up the defensive pressure and a RACHEL LEFEVER (Orrville) jumper with less than a minute remaining guaranteed another conference win as the Beavers defeated the Earlham Quakers by a 60-40 count.
Brittany Stegmaier led the Beavers with 19 points and eight rebounds. KIM MILLER(Delphos/St. John's) dominated the Quakers with career-highs of 14 boards and nine steals, while handing out seven assists and chipping in with six points. Miller's nine steals equaled the school mark held by both Jill Laughlin and Lisa Wieging. Beth Yoder generated 17 points, including a career-high five three-point bombs, and grabbed three steals. Brittany Lewis chipped in 10 points, collected seven off the glass and swatted away one Quaker shot.
Bluffton hit 23-of-73 (31.5 percent) from the field, compared to 14-of-52 (26.9 percent) for Earlham. The Beavers went 8-of-27 (29.6 percent) from behind the arc, while the Quakers made only 4-of-22 (18.2 percent). The home team knocked down 6-of-11 (54.5 percent) at the line, while the visitors were 8-of-14 (57.1 percent). Bluffton won a close battle on the boards (48-47) and the home team turned it over 11 fewer times (24-13).
The Bluffton University women's basketball team will resume Heartland Conference action when it hosts long-time rival Defiance College on Wednesday, January 19. The battle between the Beavers and the Yellow Jackets is slated for 7:30 p.m. in Founders Hall.
The Bluffton University women's basketball team will resume Heartland Conference action when it hosts long-time rival Defiance College on Wednesday, January 19. The battle between the Beavers and the Yellow Jackets is slated for 7:30 p.m. in Founders Hall.
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