November 24, 2012
By: Evan Skilliter, sports information assistant

BLUFFTON, Ohio - The Bluffton University women's basketball team improved to 3-0 for the first time since the 1994-95 season after a convincing 75-53 win over the visiting College of Wooster Fighting Scots on Saturday, Nov. 24, in the Sommer Center. The win not only pushed the Beavers to 3-0, but in the process Bluffton handed the Fighting Scots (2-1) their first loss of the season.

Bluffton got off to a slow start after two buckets by Wooster's MAURA HALL and a three by KARLEY WALKER gave the visitors a 7-2 lead four minutes into the game. BROOKE RUFFER(Stryker) put an end to the spurt with a layup when sophomore MIKAYLA COBURN(McGuffey/Upper Scioto Valley) found her open under the basket.

Following a SYDNEY GRIER triple, Bluffton trailed by six, 18-12, with 11:26 remaining in the first half. That was the largest lead Wooster would muster as the Beavers put together a remarkable 31-2 jag during the last 9:53 of the half to give Bluffton a commanding 43-20 lead at the break.

The Beaver run was started by Coburn after the sophomore hit a layup and drained a three-pointer on back-to-back Beaver possessions. Freshman TAYLOR KNIGHT (Perrysburg) was also a big factor in the run, coming up with three steals and hitting a trifecta and a deuce for five points.

Wooster finally put a stop to the run to start the second half, scoring the first four points after the break to reduce the Beaver lead to 43-25, but sophomore RACHEL DEBORD (Lebanon) made sure that was as close as the visitors would get. DeBord, coming off a Tip-Off Tournament MVP performance last weekend, scored nine of her career-high 17 points and pulled down all four of her rebounds in the second half to lead the Beavers to the 75-53 victory.

A number of Bluffton players made tallies in the scoring department aside from DeBord. Knight finished the night with a career-high 12 points after hitting 5-of-10 from the field, including 2-of-5 from deep. Knight also picked up a career-high six steals on the defensive end. Freshman TAYLOR WHITAKER (Mansfield/Lexington) and junior KYLEE BURKHOLDER(West Unity/Hilltop) each chipped in with nine points. Ruffer and sophomore BRENNA KURILEC (Mt. Gilead/Gilead Christian) each finished with eight points and five rebounds, while Coburn added seven points and eight rebounds. Kurilec equaled her career highs with four dimes and eight markers in the victory.

The Beavers hit 45.5 percent from the field, including 42.9 percent from distance, and 52.9 percent (9-of-17) at the charity stripe. Bluffton out-rebounded Wooster 43-37 and tallied 13 turnovers to 25 for the Scots.

The Beavers hit the road for the first time this season on Tuesday, Nov. 27, when they travel to Oberlin before heading to Franklin College on Saturday, Dec 1, to open up Heartland Conference play. The Beavers will be back in the Sommer Center on Saturday, Dec. 8, at 1 p.m. when they host Rose-Hulman.

-BEAVERS-