LEXINGTON, Ky. - The Bluffton University women's basketball team battled to the end, but #6 seed Anderson University won the rubber match 68-63 and with that advanced to the Heartland Conference finals where they will meet undefeated and #2-ranked tournament host Transylvania on Saturday, Feb. 26. Bluffton saw its exceptional season come to a close with a 19-7 mark.
Although the season ended short of the HCAC championship game, records fell for Bluffton on Friday night in Lexington, Ky. Senior Brianna Gillig (New Riegel) took over sole possession of the all-time scoring mark as she finished with 1,426 points, moving past Macey Sheerer who went for 1.393 career counters. Gillig also set the single-season rebounding record with 242 boards, eclipsing Kaycee Rowe's school mark of 232 rebounds. The 242 rebounds this season pushed Gillig to 3rd on the career list with 755. She was just five away from Sheerer's 760 and 34 shy of the 789 pulled down by Rachel Beining.
Bluffton led 16-14 after one quarter and pushed its lead to 37-31 at the break. Gillig led the way with eight points in the opening stanza and she continued her onslaught with nine in period two. Six Beavers netted two points apiece in the second quarter.
A 4-of-8 quarter from Gillig added up to 11 more points for the sensational senior and it looked like Bluffton was on the verge of advancing to Saturday when the home team on the scoreboard went up 53-46 with 10 minutes to play.
Anderson had other plans, however, and the Ravens used a 10-2 spurt to take the lead (56-55) at the 6:17 mark. Morgan Smith (Arlington) came up with a big bucket to put Bluffton back on top and when Maddie Fitzpatrick (Mount Gilead) knocked down a jumper with 2:46 to play it was all knotted at 60 apiece. A Gillig bucket and freebie was all Bluffton could manage the rest of the way and six straight points by HCAC Player of the Year Lexi Dellinger spelled doom for the Beavers who dropped the 68-63 decision to Anderson.
Gillig led all scorers with 33 points and she paced the Beavers with 12 boards for 25th career double-double. Kayla Prigge (Hamler/Patrick Henry) followed with nine markers and Fitzpatrick added seven. Prigge also equaled her career best with six rebounds. Peyton Henry (Leipsic), Olivia Zender (Fostoria/Hopewell Louden) Prigge and Fitzpatrick all handed out three assists on Friday night.
Bluffton hit 23-of-65 from the field (35.4 percent) including an anemic 12-of-40 (30.0 percent) when you leave Gillig out of the equation). The Beavers were 5-of-23 (21.7 percent) from distance and 12-for-14 (85.7 percent) at the line. Anderson pulled down three more rebounds (40-27), but the Ravens also turned it over three more times (10-7). The score was tied five times and the lead changed hands 13 times.
The Beavers have much to celebrate following another trip to the Heartland Conference semi-finals and the 4th most wins in school history. Check back in the coming week for updated record books.
-BEAVERS-