By: Takayla Gadberry, sports information assistant
BLUFFTON, Ohio - The Bluffton University women's basketball team welcomed Franklin College to town on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2020, for Alumni Day. The Beavers were able to hold off a tough Grizzly team, 66-56. Bluffton improved to 10-9 (4-8 HCAC) while Franklin slipped to 11-7 (7-5 HCAC).
Franklin controlled the tip and hit the first basket of the game before a Tj Mills (Dayton/Chaminade-Julienne) triple and a layup from Nora Hemminger (McComb) gave the Beavers a 5-4 lead. Two buckets in the paint and two freebies from Brianna Gillig (New Riegel) pushed the Bluffton lead to six with just under two minutes in the first. A trifecta for Sammy Shardo (Findlay/Liberty-Benton) followed by two Hemminger charity shots had the Beavers up 19-11 at the end of one.
A 6-5 run for the Grizzlies early in the second brought them within seven, but the Beaver offense was able to pull away again when they went on a 9-0 jag to push the score out to 33-17. A Gillig jumper and two foul shots for Morgan Smith (Arlington) gave the Beavers a 39-26 lead at the half.
Kylie Brock (Villa Hills, KY/Dixie Heights) hit back-to-back shots early in the third to keep the Beaver lead at 13 (43-30). An offensive spark for the Grizzlies had them going on a 10-3 run which pulled the visitors within six at the 5:11 mark. Four Mills freebies pushed the home team lead back out to 10, but Franklin bucketed five straight to make the game 53-48 going into the final stanza.
Two field goals from Mills to start the fourth put the good gals up 57-50. A pair of Gillig freebies followed by a Mills trifecta pushed the lead back up to 10 (62-52). A Gillig tip-in nailed down Bluffton's 66-56 victory.
Mills led the Bluffton offense with 21 points, just one shy of tying her career high, and the senior pulled down six rebounds. She hit 6-of-8 from the field, 7-of-8 at the line, dished out three assists and came up with three steals. Right behind her was Gillig who tallied 20 markers and 13 boards for her 6th career double-double. Hemminger and Smith also pulled down four rebounds apiece.
The Beavers connected on 23-of-62 (37.1 percent) shots from the field and 4-of-16 (25 percent) from the arc. Franklin bucketed 23-of-61 (37.7 percent), but just 2-of-11 (18.2 percent) from deep. Bluffton netted an impressive 16-of-19 (84.2 percent) at the stripe compared to Franklin's 8-of-13 (61.5 percent). Bluffton pulled down seven more boards (42-35) and stole the ball six more times (11-5). They also turned the ball over two fewer times (18-16).
The women are back in action on Wednesday, Feb. 5, when they welcome Mount St. Joseph to Copeland Court. Tip-off is slated for 7:30 p.m. Come out and support your Beavers!
-BEAVERS-
