BLUFFTON, Ohio - The Bluffton University women's basketball team used a dominant second quarter to put away Earlham College 73-59 on a cold Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. Bluffton improved to 8-7 overall and 2-6 in the Heartland Conference, while the Quakers fell to 4-11 and 0-8 in HCAC play.
Earlham jumped out to a quick 14-6 lead before the first media timeout, but the Beavers responded with a 16-6 splurge over the final 3:39 of period one, including a half-court heave from Madison Brown (Montpelier/North Central) that just beat the buzzer! She was 4-of-8 from the field and 2-of-2 at the line for 11 points in the first quarter.
The home team continued its onslaught in the second stanza, rolling off 26 points while hitting 10-of-17 from the field. Lacie Fenstermaker (Leipsic/Pandora-Gilboa) had it going with seven markers on 3-of-4 shooting and Brown added six counters, giving her 17 at the break. Bluffton opened up a comfortable 48-32 spread heading into the second half. The Beavers also out-boarded Earlham 13-5 in quarter number two.
Bluffton pushed the lead to 56-34 with 5:55 to play in the third following a pair of Brown buckets and a Rachel Clark (Lima/Bath) layup. Fenstermaker and Mackenzea Townsend (Union City/Mississinawa Valley) both hit from in close as the Beavers led 63-47 with one quarter to play.
The visitors won the fourth quarter 12-10, but the Beavers capped off their 73-59 victory with everyone seeing time on the floor. Fenstermaker led the way with four points in the period, helping Bluffton to its second conference win of the season.
Brown led the way with a career-high 23 points on 9-of-20 shooting from the field. She also paced the home team with seven rebounds, three assists and four steals. Fenstermaker was spot on, hitting 7-of-9 from the field for 17 points and six caroms. Townsend also got in on the career-high action with 10 points, going 3-of-5 from the floor and 4-of-4 at the stripe. Senior Kayla Prigge (Hamler/Patrick Henry) added five boards, three assists and two steals.
Bluffton went 28-of-62 from the floor (45.2 percent), including 3-of-11 outside the arc for 27.3 percent. The Beavers were outstanding at the line, knocking down 14-of-16 (87.5 percent). Earlham was no match for Bluffton on the boards as the home team ripped down 46, compared to just 29 for the Quake show. The Beavers turned it over three more times (17-14).
The Bluffton women are back in the Sommer Center for game one of a conference double feature with Berea College on Saturday afternoon. Tip-off is slated for 1 p.m. with the men to follow.
-BEAVERS-