BLUFFTON, Ohio - The Bluffton University women's basketball team dominated the fourth quarter on the way to a 65-56 victory over Manchester University on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025. Bluffton improved to 10-9 overall and 4-8 in the Heartland Conference, while the Spartans fell to 7-11 and 4-8 in the HCAC.
The home team saw its seven-point third-quarter lead evaporate as the Spartans outscored Bluffton 14-8 over the final 6:26 of the period, trimming their deficit to a single point (37-36) heading to the final stanza. However, an 8-0 jag over exactly a minute and a half put the Beavers up 53-42 with just over three minutes to play. Rachel Clark (Lima/Bath) dialed long distance and Madison Brown (Montpelier/North Central) scored five straight, including a hoop-and-harm as Bluffton exerted its might.
Clark and Tamron Brinkman (Dayton/East Dayton Christian) hit back-to-back layups and Brown drilled six straight freebies before a pair of Kayla Prigge (Hamler/Patrick Henry) foul shots made the final score 65-56.
Fenstermaker bucketed four points in the first frame and Clark led the Beavers with five markers in the second quarter as both teams struggled to put the biscuit in the basket. Bluffton led 25-18 at the half and it pushed the spread to seven (29-22) thanks to four straight Brinkman points early in the third period.
Clark was outstanding in front of her fans from Bath High School! She hit 6-of-9 from the field, including 2-of-4 outside the arc, for 14 points. The sophomore playmaker doled out a game-high five dimes, pulled down six rebounds and picked up a steal! Brown was a blistering 10-of-11 at the charity stripe for a team-high 16 points and she also ripped down a game-best nine boards. Fenstermaker and Brinkman added 11 and 10 markers, respectively. Freshman Mackenzea Townsend (Union City/Mississinawa Valley) swatted away a career-high four Spartan shots.
Bluffton hit just 23-of-63 from the field for 36.5 percent, including a paltry 4-of-18 (22.2 percent) outside the arc. Fortunately, the Spartans connected on only 21-of-58 from the field (36.2 percent) and they made just one triple (1-of-12). The Beavers made hay at the line, knocking down 15-of-17 (88.2 percent). The home team pulled down 13 more rebounds (46-33), but it also turned it over six more times (12-6).
The Bluffton women head to Hanover College for a 4 p.m. meeting with the Panthers on Saturday, Feb. 1, as part of a double feature following the 2 p.m. men's tip-off.
-BEAVERS-