BLUFFTON, Ohio - The Bluffton University women's basketball team has put together an impressive 4-0 start to the 2020-21 campaign, one of just three Heartland Conference teams to play games during the month of November. Manchester and Transylvania were the other two HCAC schools that played outside competition prior to December. The Beavers handled Manchester all four times that the two schools met over a 10-day span.
A 65-55 victory by the Beavers in the opener on November 12 saw both teams struggle to find the bottom of the net as Bluffton hit just 24-of-74 from the field (32.4 percent). The home team made up for it with a dominating 33-6 edge in bench points while forcing the Spartans into 23 turnovers.
Freshman Angel Schneider (Columbus Grove) and Sammy Shardo (Findlay/Liberty-Benton) both notched double figures with 11 and 10 points, respectively. Junior Emma Saltzman (Arcadia) ripped down nine boards while senior Nora Hemminger (McComb) added seven caroms. Shardo picked off the Spartans with a game-high five steals.
Defenses continued to rule two days later when Bluffton hooked up with Manchester, again in the Sommer Center. With the game tied at 42 apiece and the outcome hanging in the balance with less than 1:30 to play, a 12-4 run by the Bluffton freshmen made the final score 54-46! Schneider hit from deep and Malson followed with seven straight counters before Maddie Fitzpatrick's (Mount Gilead) run out capped off Bluffton's second straight win over the Spartans.
The Beavers again dominated the bench points (39-12) thanks to a defense that limited Manchester to 15-of-62 (24.2 percent) from the field, including 2-for-18 (11.1 percent) outside the arc.
Freshmen Sydney Cavanaugh (Mansfield/St. Peter's) and Taylor Malson (Castalia/Margaretta) led the way with 14 and 12 points, respectively. Hemminger pulled down a team-high seven rebounds, while Malson and Shardo both finished with six caroms. Fitzpatrick dished out four assists and Malson came up with four steals for the victors. Cavanaugh blocked two Manchester shots.
Bluffton's first road trip of the season saw the Beavers put up a season-high 69 points at Manchester on Thursday, Nov. 19. The Beavers moved to 3-0 with a 69-60 victory courtesy of a 27-of-63 night from the field (42.9 percent), including a season-best 9-of-22 (40.9 percent) from beyond the arc. Manchester managed just 4-of-15 from distance for a paltry 26.7 percent on threes. The visitors took advantage with 20 points off turnovers.
Fitzpatrick led the way with a career-high 17 points on 7-of-14 shooting from the field. Shardo and Kylie Brock (Villa Hills, KY/Dixie Heights) made it three in double figures with 13 points apiece. Shardo was 3-of-6 from deep and she ripped down five rebounds. Pulling down a team-high eight boards was Schneider. Hemminger stuffed the stat sheet with four assists, four caroms and three steals for the victors.
Trying to break through in the final 2020 matchup between the Beavers and Spartans, Manchester bolted out to an 18-8 lead after period one on Saturday, Nov. 21. The Beavers needed time to shake the bus lag off as they fell behind 9-0 out of the gate.
The visitors answered back in the second quarter as Shardo buried a trifecta of triples en route to a 28-13 splurge that made it 36-31 at the break. Bluffton led by as many as 11 in the fourth stanza, holding on for a 66-62 win that gave the Beavers their fourth straight victory over the Spartans.
Bluffton struggled from the field, hitting just 19-of-58 for 32.8 percent, compared to 24-of-62 (38.7 percent) for the Spartans. The Beavers hit six triples, including five from Shardo, but the visitors did much of their damage at the free throw line where they went 22-of-31 for 71 percent. Bluffton finished with a 21-0 edge in bench points.
Shardo found her stoke, going 5-of-7 from distance, two shy of her shool-record seven triples, for a team-high 18 points. Saltzman was also in double figures with a career-high 14 counters to go along with six rebounds. Fitzpatrick got it done with eight points, five rebounds, four steals and three assists. Malson picked up four steals for the victors.
Balanced scoring has been the theme through the first four games with eight women dropping in at least five points per contest. Shardo leads the Beavers with 10.8 PPG on the strength of 8-of-20 (40.0 percent) shooting from distance. Fitzpatrick is just shy of double figures with 9.3 PPG and she leads the team with 10 dimes. Saltzman has been a rock for the women with 7.8 PPG and a team-best 6.5 RPG while shooting 15-of-31 (48.4 percent) from the field. Malson has a team-high 12 steals, while Cavanaugh is 9-of-17 (52.9 percent) on field goals. Coach Shutler has spread the wealth with 10 women averaging at least 10 minutes per game.
A pair of home games with Adrian College are just around the corner with the Bulldogs traveling to the Sommer Center on Monday, Dec. 7, and Wednesday, Dec. 9. Adrian is slated to play a pair of Heartland Conference schools this week, going to Defiance on December 2 and Transylvania on December 5. The Bulldogs took down Manchester (77-51) in their only game of the year to this point.
-BEAVERS-