By: Takayla Gadberry, sports information assistant
BLUFFTON, Ohio - The Bluffton University women's basketball team welcomed the Hanover College Panthers to town on Feb. 15, 2020. The Beavers offense struggled as they fell to the visitors 69-46. The home team dropped to 12-11 (6-10 HCAC), while Hanover improved to 16-6 (15-1 HCAC).
The Beavers controlled the tip and quickly got on the board when senior Tj Mills (Dayton/Chaminade-Julienne) hit a three. Mills drained another trifecta to put Bluffton up 6-2, but a basket and two free throws for Hanover tied it up at six. The Panthers pulled ahead 10-6 before yet another Mills triple and a jumper from Brianna Gillig (New Riegel) cut the deficit to one. Deep triples from Sammy Shardo (Findlay/Liberty-Benton) and Kylie Brock (Villa Hills, KY/Dixie Heights) put the Beavers back on top, 18-16. A Hanover layup tied it up 18-18 at the end of one.
Three freebies and a three for the Panthers pushed their lead to six (24-18) early in the second quarter. Nora Hemminger (McComb) hit a deep shot to cut the deficit to just 24-21. Four more free throws for Hanover put them up 30-21. Mills hit a shot from the stripe, but it wouldn't be enough as the Beavers went into the half looking at a 34-22 scoreboard.
Hemminger dropped a layin to start the third quarter and cut the deficit to 10 (34-24). A 10-2 run for the Panthers had them up 44-26 midway through the third. Hemminger netted another trifecta to make the score 44-29. A Peyton Henry (Leipsic) triple and three Abbie Parkins (Bluffton) shots from the stripe sent the Beavers into the last quarter of play on the wrong side of a 51-37 score.
Hanover used an 8-0 run in the first two minutes of the fourth quarter to push its lead to 59-37. Emma Saltzman (Arcadia) hit a jumper to break the run. The Panthers had another 5-0 spurt but Hemminger hit a shot in the paint which made it 64-41. Henry hit another deep bomb but it was too little, too late as the home team dropped a 69-46 decision.
Hemminger led the Beaver offense and defense with 12 points and five rebounds. Mills and Brock tallied 10 and seven markers, respectively. Shardo, Parkins, Saltzman and Morgan Smith (Arlington) each pulled down three boards in the loss.
Bluffton netted 15-of-45 (33.3 percent) field shots and 9-of-25 (36 percent) from deep. Hanover made 24-of-52 (46.2 percent) shots and was an efficient 6-of-12 (50 percent) from outside the arc. The Beavers were 7-of-11 (63.6 percent) from the stripe with the Panthers making 15-of-21 (71.4 percent). Hanover pulled down 12 more boards (38-26) and the Beavers coughed the ball up nine more times (20-11). The Panthers netted 30 points in the paint compared to just eight for the Beavers.
The women are back in action on Wednesday, Feb. 19, against HCAC rival Defiance College. Tip-off is slated for 6 p.m. with the men's game to follow at approximately 8 p.m. Both teams will be honoring this year's seniors prior to their respective games. Come out and support your Beavers in their last home game of the season!
-BEAVERS-
