By: Takayla Gadberry, sports information assistant
BLUFFTON, Ohio - The Bluffton University women's basketball team welcomed Heartland Conference rival Defiance College to Copeland Court on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2020. The Beavers picked up a huge 75-67 victory over the Yellow Jackets. Bluffton improved their mark to 13-11 (7-10 HCAC), while Defiance fell to 7-17 (6-11 HCAC). The victory over Defiance propelled Bluffton into fourth place in the conference, one game in front of a five-way logjam for places five through nine with just one game to play. The top six teams will advance to the Heartland Conference tournament next week.
Defiance controlled the tip but a steal from Nora Hemminger (McComb) and two quick buckets from senior Dj Keesey (Cadiz/Harrison Central) and Brianna Gillig (New Riegel) gave Bluffton an early 4-0 lead. Two Yellow Jacket triples put Defiance on top, 8-4, but a Gillig trifecta and layup along with a jumper from Abbie Parkins (Bluffton) pushed the home team up by three (11-8). Sammy Shardo (Findlay/Liberty-Benton) hit a deep bomb followed by an Emma Saltzman (Arcadia) deuce which pushed Bluffton's lead to 11 (21-10). A Gillig tip-in had the Beavers up 23-10 at the end of one.
The visitors netted the first bucket of the second quarter but Kylie Brock (Villa Hills, KY/Dixie Heights) hit a three to make the score 26-12. A Hemminger putback and a Tj Mills (Dayton/Chaminade-Julienne) three-pointer had the Beavers up 16 (33-17) with 4:05 to play in the half. An 8-0 run for the Yellow Jackets pulled them within seven (34-27) before two trifectas from Mills and Brock had the Beavers up 40-30 at the half.
Two Gillig freebies and a layup made the score 44-33 in favor of Bluffton. Four Mills charity shots pushed the home team cushion to 14 (50-36) with 4:31 left in the third. Shardo drained a three to make the score 53-39, but a 7-2 run for Defiance made it an eight-point (57-49) game. Hemminger netted a deep shot at the buzzer to put the Beavers up 60-49 going into the final stanza.
Defiance bucketed the first two shots of the fourth to pull within seven (60-53), but Parkins answered back with a laser triple to make the score 63-53. The Yellow Jackets pulled within three (65-62) with 4:29 left in regulation. Two Mills charity shots and a Brock deuce in the paint pushed the Beaver lead back to seven (71-64). Three Hemminger freebies secured the 75-67 victory for the home team.
Gillig led the Beavers with 20 points and 12 rebounds for her 9th career double-double. Hemminger was close behind with 15 markers and six boards. She added three steals and three assists for the victors. Mills and Brock chipped in 12 and nine points, respectively. Saltzman pulled down five rebounds in the victory.
Bluffton netted 24-of-58 (41.4 percent) from the field and 9-of-27 (33.3 percent) from deep, compared to Defiance's 23-of-48 (47.9 percent) and 7-of-15 (46.7 percent) from distance. The Beavers connected on 18-of-23 (78.3 percent) from the stripe with the Yellow Jackets hitting 14-of-19 (73.7 percent). The home team pulled down five more rebounds (35-30) and turned the ball over a miniscule three times. The Beavers also picked up seven steals.
The women are back in action on Saturday, Feb. 22, when they travel to Transylvania University for their final regular season game. Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m. with the men's game to follow at 4 p.m. Go Beavers!
-BEAVERS-
