December 18, 2015
By: Ryan Schadewald, sports information assistant
WOOSTER, Ohio - The Bluffton University women's basketball team had five scorers in double figures and kept its record unblemished with a convincing 95-64 victory over the Wooster College Scots on Friday, Dec. 18. The Beavers improved to 8-0 on the year, while Wooster slipped to a respectable 5-4. The eight straight victories have Bluffton all alone in the record books, moving past the 1978-79 and 1979-80 squads that combined for seven consecutive wins over two seasons!
After trailing 4-2 early, the Beavers scored 14 of the next 15 points, six of those coming off the bench from senior ABBY JERGER (Middletown/Madison) as Beavers opened a 16-5 lead. The spread was still 11 late in the stanza before a triple by TAYLOR KNIGHT (Perrysburg) made it 23-9 after one quarter.
The Beavers continued to extend the lead in the second, getting it to 22 on a three-ball from BELICIA COOPER (Painesville/Riverside) at the 5:31 mark. Wooster trimmed the lead back to 17 with 1:37 until halftime before a KAYCEE ROWE (Harrod/Allen East) jumper and trey from KAITLYN PENNEKAMP (Hamilton/Ross) gave Bluffton a 22-point advantage that the visitors would maintain into the break.
Back-to-back deuces from RACHEL BEINING (Ottoville) and Rowe got the Beaver lead to a game-high 26 just 30 seconds into the third quarter. Wooster fought back, outscoring the Beavers 23-10 over a seven-minute stretch in the quarter, pulling within 66-53 at the 2:26 mark. But the Beavers answered emphatically, closing the third with seven straight markers, the first five coming from MACEY SHEERER (Bucyrus), and capped with a jumper by RACHEL BEINING (Ottoville) to make it 73-53 after three quarters.
The Scots scored the first five points of the fourth to make it a 15-point game, but Bluffton would go on a 21-2 run, sparked by a deuce from Jerger at the 8:13 mark as Bluffton pulled away for a 94-60 spread late in the contest before Wooster cut it to the 95-64 final score.
The Beavers broke out on the offensive end Friday, shooting a stellar 55.1 percent (38-of-69) from the floor, including 62.2 percent (23-of-37) in the opening half. The Beavers also converted 38.5 percent (5-of-13) from downtown on the night. Bluffton forced 20 Wooster turnovers, compared to just 13 miscues at the other end. The rebounding battle finished with each team grabbing 42 caroms.
Bluffton put five scorers in double figures, led by Macey Sheerer with 21 markers and nine boards. Rachel Beining got it done with her second straight double-double, garnering 18 points and 11 boards. Kaycee Rowe stuffed the stat sheet with 17 points (career-high), five boards, five assists (career-high) and five steals. Rowe and Sheerer were both a blistering 7-of-8 from the field! Abby Jerger finished the night with a career-high 14 off the bench on 6-of-10 shooting, while also dishing out a team-high six assists to go along with four boards. Kaitlyn Pennekamp added 11 markers for the Beavers. Wooster was led by ANNA GIBBS with 12 points.
The women kick off three days of Bluffton basketball in the Sommer Center when they welcome OSU-Lima for the McDonald's of Bluffton Holiday tournament on Monday, December 28, following a week off for Christmas. The 7 p.m. contest follows a 5 p.m. matchup between Geneva and Spring Arbor. The losing teams will meet at 12 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 29, with the victors to square off at 5 p.m. The Bluffton men host Washington & Jefferson at 7 p.m. on Tuesday night after the women's championship game with the consolation and finals set for 12 and 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 30. Follow the WOMEN'S TOURNAMENT here as the Beavers look to keep their perfect mark intact! Come out and support your Beavers!
-BEAVERS-