December 17, 2011

LEXINGTON, Ky. - The Bluffton University women's basketball team pulled within two points late in the game, but a 22-of-62 (35.5 percent) shooting performance was too much to overcome in a 61-56 loss at Transylvania on Saturday, Dec. 17, 2011. The Beavers slipped to 2-6 overall and 0-4 in the Heartland Conference, while Transy improved to 3-5 overall and 2-3 in the HCAC.

BRITTANY STEGMAIER (Garfield/Trinity) and LAUREN HUTTON (New Riegel) drained back-to-back threes for a quick 6-0 Bluffton lead just one minute into the contest. A BETH YODER(Marshallville/Smithville) bucket made the score 8-4 at the 16-minute mark before five straight Pioneer points gave the home team its first lead of the game (9-8).

Following another three-ball by Brittany Stegmaier and a BRITTANY LEWIS(Springfield/Shawnee) jumper in the paint, Stegmaier dropped in a deuce for a 22-21 Bluffton lead at the 3:53 mark. The Pioneers roared back with a 15-5 run for a 36-27 Transylvania lead at the break.

Transy pushed the lead to 11 (41-30) with 17:37 to play before Bluffton answered with an 12-3 spurt which allowed the visitors to pull within two points (44-42) five minutes later. Hutton and Stegmaier powered the comeback with 10 of the 12 markers.

A Stegmaier trey and Hutton freebie made it a two-point deficit (50-48) at the 6:25 mark. Four NICOLE COFFMAN makes from the foul line pushed the Transy lead to six and when she followed a CHARLI FANT layin within two more free throws, the Beavers trailed by eight.

The visitors trimmed the Transy advantage to four points (58-54) with 55 seconds on the clock. Three Pioneer foul shots sealed a 61-56 victory despite a Hutton chip shot with one tick remaining.

Hutton and Stegmaier paced the Beavers with 17 and 16 points, respectively. Stegmaier drained 4-of-8 from outside the arc to go along with her team-high seven rebounds. Hutton was 2-of-3 from deep and she pulled down five boards. ALICIA AMIS (Woodstock/Mechanicsburg) and Brittany Lewis, who dished out a team-high four assists, both collected five caroms. 

Bluffton hit 8-of-20 (40 percent) from distance, compared to 3-of-8 (37.5 percent) for the home team. Transy pulled down six more rebounds (41-35), while Bluffton committed three more turnovers (17-14). Nicole Coffman was a perfect 10-for-10 at the line en route to a game-high 20 points.

The Beavers return to action on Tuesday, Dec. 20, when they host Thomas More College at 6 p.m.

-BEAVERS-