January 14, 2017

HANOVER, Ind. - The Bluffton University women's basketball team trailed 50-41 midway through the third period before the Beavers turned it around with a 25-10 jag over the next nine minutes en route to the 86-81 victory on Saturday, Jan. 14. Bluffton improved to 13-2 overall and 7-1 in the Heartland Conference, while Hanover slipped to 7-8 and 5-3 in the HCAC. The Beaver win gave the visitors consecutive road victories over the Panthers for the first time in school history!

Layins by RACHEL BEINING (Ottoville) helped Bluffton pull within two points before deuces by ABIGAIL O'DONNELL (Arcanum) and KAYCEE ROWE (Harrod/Allen East) knotted the score at 55 heading into the final stanza.

Back-to-back triples from MACEY SHEERER (Bucyrus) put Bluffton on top for good (61-57) with 8:43 to play. TJ MILLS (Dayton Chaminade-Julienne) pushed it to 66-60 with a pair of free throws and a deep ball at the 6:41 mark. Hanover pulled within one twice in the final six minutes, but seven makes at the charity stripe in the final minute sealed the 86-81 victory for the HCAC leaders.

The Beavers put five in double figures with Rachel Beining, Sheerer and Rowe all netting 17 points in the victory. Beining's 17 on a white-hot 8-of-10 from the field pushed her past the 1,000-point mark as a Beaver! BREANNA GRAHAM (Springboro) was on fire, hitting 4-of-5 deep balls for a career-high 16 counters!. Mills was one point shy of her career best with 14 points and she doled out a career-high eight dimes. Beining ripped down a game-high 11 boards for her 19th career double-double. Sheerer converted 11-of-12 at the charity stripe.

Bluffton hit 27-of-62 from the field (43.5 percent), including 7-for-16 (43.8 percent) from distance. Both teams pulled down 35 rebounds, but the home team turned it over six more times (19-13).

Round one of the Heartland Conference will come to a close on Wednesday, Jan. 18, when the Beavers welcome long-time rival Defiance College. Tip-off is slated for 6 p.m. in the Sommer Center.

-BEAVERS-