BLUFFTON, Ohio - The Bluffton University women's basketball team will be looking to bounce back in 2024-25 after just missing out on a Heartland Conference tournament berth last season. Two wins in its final three games, including a home victory over rival Defiance has the Beavers excited to hit the hardwood this season.
Gone are a pair of guards who combined for over 110 starts during their time at Copeland Court. Olivia Zender averaged over 10 points per game thanks to hitting 59-of-75 from the line (78.7 percent). She led the team with 35 steals while doling out 41 assists in 22 games. Maddie Fitzpatrick ended her career with 70 triples and she was 151-of-191 at the charity stripe (79.1 percent). The four-year starter finished in the top 10 all-time for both free throw and three-point shooting percentage.
Junior Lacie Fenstermaker (Leipsic/Pandora-Gilboa) ripped down a team-best 6.4 RPG to go along with her 6.0 PPG. She has started 36 times while playing in all 51 games for the Beavers during her first two seasons.
Senior Kayla Prigge (Hamler/Patrick Henry) has been a fixture on the court since day one thanks to her shooting from long distance. Her 102 makes from outside the arc are 10th all-time. Prigge is netting 8.4 PPG for her career and she has been unselfish with 132 assists over 74 games at Bluffton.
Lindsey Smith (Mount Victory/Kenton) and Tamron Brinkman (Dayton/East Dayton Christian) have given the Beavers valuable minutes off the bench during their first three years at Bluffton. Also back is junior Kyla Columber (Marion/Pleasant) who drilled a school-record eight triples in Bluffton's 81-48 shellacking of rival Defiance in 2022-23.
Rachel Clark (Lima/Bath) started 20 games as a freshman and she doled out a team-high 56 assists while scoring 5.2 PPG. The sophomore also pulled down 3.3 RPG and hit 25-of-31 (80.6 percent) at the charity stripe.
The 2024-25 season will get underway with a trip to Olivet on Friday, Nov. 8. Kalamazoo College travels to the Sommer Center for Bluffton's home opener on Wednesday, Nov. 20. Two weeks later, Mount St. Joseph will be in town for the Heartland Conference lidlifter on December 4. Although Defiance College has departed the HCAC for the NAIA, Bluffton will continue its rivalry with a 5 p.m. home contest against the Yellow Jackets on Monday, Dec. 30! The regular season comes to close when Anderson battles the Beavers on Wednesday, Feb. 19 for Senior Night.
-BEAVERS-