By: Takayla Gadberry, sports information assistant
ANDERSON, Ind. - The Bluffton University women's basketball team stifled Anderson University 47-41 in the first round of the Heartland Conference tournament on Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2020. Not only did the victory avenge a pair of regular-season losses to the Ravens, it propelled the Beavers into the semifinals at Transylvania on Saturday. Bluffton improved to 14-12, while Anderson's season came to an end with an 11-15 mark.
A quick Emma Saltzman (Arcadia) layup and threes from Tj Mills (Dayton/Chaminade-Julienne) and Brianna Gillig (New Riegel) gave the Beavers an early 8-4 lead over the Ravens. Four straight freebies by Nora Hemminger (McComb) and Gillig pushed the Bluffton lead to six (12-6). Abbie Parkins (Bluffton) closed out the first quarter scoring with a trifecta to send the Beavers into the second period up 17-10.
Hemminger started the second quarter with a shot from the charity stripe before a Mills layin made the score 20-13 in favor of Bluffton. Another deep shot and four free throws by Gillig pushed the Beaver lead to eight (30-22) with 1:19 left on the clock. Another charity shot for both Kylie Brock (Villa Hills, KY/Dixie Heights) and Saltzman sent the visiting team into the half up by a 32-22 margin.
Three straight layups for the Beavers from Mills and Gillig pushed the spread to 16 (38-22) early in the second half. A 9-2 run for Anderson made it a nine-point game (40-31) with just under two minutes to play in the third quarter. Another Bluffton shot in the paint by Hemminger pushed the lead to 42-31 going into the final quarter of play.
Six straight points for the Ravens to start the fourth quarter saw the home team creeping back into the game, down just five (42-37). Gillig hit a freebie, but a layup from Anderson had the Ravens back within four (43-39). Four more free throws from Hemminger and Mills secured the 47-41 Beaver tournament victory.
Leading the Bluffton offense and defense was Gillig with 21 points and 12 rebounds for her 10th career double-double. The 21 points for Gillig sent her past Paula Slaughter for the most points in a single season! She is currently at 440 points, topping the 432 markers that Slaughter scored back in 1988-89. Mills ended the game with 12 points, followed by Hemminger with seven markers. Morgan Smith (Arlington) and Saltzman both pulled down six boards in the victory. It was a career high on the glass for Smith.
Both teams struggled from the field as Bluffton connected on just 13-of-52 (25 percent), including 4-of-16 (25 percent) from outside the arc. Anderson hit 16-of-53 (30.2 percent) from the field and 3-of-13 (23.1 percent) from deep. Both teams did better at the charity stripe with the Beavers netting 17-of-22 (77.3 percent) and the Ravens 6-of-7 (85.7 percent). Bluffton pulled down two more boards (39-37) and also coughed the ball up four fewer times (15-11). The visitors also tallied eight more steals (13-5).
The Beavers will travel to #11 Transylvania on Saturday, Feb. 29. Bluffton is slated to take on the #1 seed and tournament host Pioneers at 1 p.m. with the winner to face either Hanover or Franklin on Sunday for the HCAC tournament championship at 11:30 a.m.
-BEAVERS-