FRANKLIN, Ind. - The Bluffton University women's basketball team came up just short in a 75-72 loss at Franklin College on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025. The Grizzlies improved to 11-3 overall and 5-2 in the Heartland Conference, while Bluffton slipped to 7-7 and 1-6 in the HCAC.

Senior Kayla Prigge (Hamler/Patrick Henry) and Rachel Clark (Lima/Bath) hit from distance before deuces from Lindsey Smith (Mount Victory/Kenton) and Tamron Brinkman (Dayton/East Dayton Christian) made it 10-4 Beavers midway through the first period. Back-to-back chip shots by junior Lacie Fenstermaker (Leipsic/Pandora-Gilboa) and a Madison Brown (Montpelier/North Central) jumper gave the visitors a 16-11 lead after one quarter.

Five quick points from Prigge pushed the spread to 21-13 with 8:21 to play in the half. Franklin trimmed its deficit to two points before a Katie Sims (Perrysburg) trifecta gave the Beavers a 28-23 lead at the 1:44 mark. A pair of Brown freebies again pushed the lead to five, but the Grizzlies knotted it up 30-30 at the break.

The scoring was fast and furious in the third frame as the lead went back and forth. Franklin used a 21-20 edge to forge a 51-50 lead going to the final stanza. Smith was unstoppable, bucketing 10 points on a perfect 5-of-5 shooting from the field.

Four straight counters from Fenstermaker and a Prigge triple kept Bluffton within striking distance (61-57 Franklin) at the 6:51 mark. Consecutive Smith bunnies knotted the score at 63 with four minutes to play, but an 8-1 Franklin spurt gave the Grizzlies a comfortable 71-64 lead with just 40 seconds remaining. Clark drilled a pair of triples and Smith scored at the buzzer as Bluffton made the final score 75-72.

Smith netted a career-high tying 18 points on a perfect 9-for-9 afternoon from the field! Prigge followed with 16 points on 3-of-5 shooting from distance. Brown and Fenstermaker both chipped in with a dozen counters. Fenstermaker ripped down a team-high 10 boards for her fifth career double-double. She stuffed the stat sheet with four blocks and three assists. Smith added seven rebounds and four blocks.

Bluffton was an efficient 28-of-54 (51.9 percent) from the field, including 7-for-15 (46.7 percent) outside the arc. The visitors pulled down 10 more rebounds (37-27), but the Beavers also turned ot over nine more times (19-10).

The women will return to the Sommer Center for a 7 p.m. meeting with Earlham College on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025.

-BEAVERS-