BLUFFTON, Ohio - The Bluffton University women's basketball team stayed with Hanover College for a quarter, but the Beavers managed just single digits over each of the final three frames as the Panthers notched a convincing 61-38 victory on Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025. Bluffton fell to 7-5 overall and 1-4 in the Heartland Conference, while Hanover improved to 10-2 and 4-1 in the HCAC.

The Panthers scored six staight to open the game before a 9-0 Bluffton jag put the home team on top. Back-to-back layups by Madison Brown (Montpelier/North Central) and then nine consecutive counters from Tamron Brinkman (Dayton/East Dayton Christian) had the home team up 13-10 at the 5:18 mark of the first quarter. Junior Katie Sims (Perrysburg) dialed long distance at the 1:21 mark, pulling Bluffton within a point (17-16) heading to the second period.

Brown and Sims both hit from outside the arc in the second quarter, however, the Panthers opened a 34-25 lead at the break on the strength of a 17-9 spread in the second 10 minutes.

Hanover put it away with a 17-5 splurge in the third quarter, making it 51-30 going to the final stanza. Both squads emptied their benches in the fourth as Hanover capped off its 61-38 victory on a cold Saturday afternoon in the Sommer Center.

Brinkman led the way with a career-high 16 points on 6-of-12 shooting from the field. She also paced the Beavers with seven rebounds. Sims established a new career-high with 10 markers, going 2-of-6 from deep to go along with four rebounds. Brown chipped in with nine points and six boards.

Bluffton hit just 15-of-57 (26.3 percent) from the field, including a paltry 3-for-18 (16.7 percent) outside the arc. The home team struggled to a 5-of-11 (45.5 percent) afternoon at the stripe. Hanover ripped down nine more rebounds (45-36) and both teams turned it over 16 times.

The women hit the road for a Heartland Conference showdown at Anderson University on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m.

-BEAVERS-