December 28, 2012
By: Keisha Holtsberry, sports information assistant

HOLLAND, Mich. - The Bluffton University women's basketball team fell to Baldwin-Wallace at the Hope College Flying Dutch Holiday Tournament on Friday, Dec. 28, 2012. The Beavers dipped to 5-5, while Baldwin-Wallace improved to 5-5.

Baldwin-Wallace came out ready to play and took an early 6-0 lead over the Beavers. Sophomore Brenna Kurilec (Mt. Gilead/Gilead Christian) made the first basket for the Beavers four minutes into the game, cutting Baldwin-Wallace's lead to four. The Yellow Jackets quickly took control of the game and two minutes later were back on top by eight. At the 13:07 mark, freshman Carolin Baker (Bethel-Tate) made a jumper, trimming the deficit to six, but that was the closest the Beavers would get for the rest of the game. By the end of the half, Bluffton was down by 28 (51-23).

Unfortunately for Coach Shutler's youthful squad, the second half was not much better with 26 points the slimmest margin Bluffton mustered after freshman Brooke Ruffer (Stryker) made a jumper early in the final stanza. Baldwin-Wallace outscored the Beavers, 38-22, in the second half to cap off its 89-45 victory.

The Beavers were led by Ruffer with 14 points and five boards. Lauren Hutton (New Riegel), Taylor Whitaker (Mansfield/Lexington) and Kaitlyn Pennekamp (Hamilton/Ross) each contributed six points to the Bluffton total. Hutton also pulled down five rebounds.   

Bluffton hit just 14-of-68 (20.6 percent) from the field, including 1-for-6 (16.7 percent) from outside the arc. Baldwin-Wallace went 30-of-83 (36.1 percent) and 8-for-26 (30.8 percent) from distance. The Beavers turned it over 11 more times (23-12), while B-W won the war on the glass (63-49).

The Beavers move into the concolation bracket and will play Finlandia University at 1 p.m. in the DeVos Fieldhouse on Saturday.

-BEAVERS-